Short Note on Declining Sex Ratio in India

In Indian religion and culture son is said to be the only successor to the family property. The son only have right to perform the funerals of his to parents. Son only carry the clan or the family or the dynasty. Girl has wed and go to her husband and in laws. Therefore, she is not prefered by the parents.

Due to the preference for son, the daughters are killed in the foetus i.e. female foeticide. As the abortions are legalised, the female foeticide has grown beyond numbers. Despite the Government has passed the PNDT – Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, the female foeticide has not declined to satisfactions. The multi-national companies increased the production of Ultra-sound Machines to conduct Sonographies and Ultra-sound tests, they sold these machines in Indian markets in very large proportion.

The Government has made it a punishable offence to undergo sex determination test to the parents and also the doctors, but even people violates these rules and conduct sex determination tests secretly.

Many times, due to restriction on sex determination tests, the female child is born, many states and the societies in India are killing the infant girl children. Mostly to avoid the dowry to be given, the infant girls are killed by their parents.

Therefore, it is to say in India, the sex ratio has considerably been declined. If the female foeticide and female infanticide to be controlled, the PNDT act must be implemented strictly. There should be frequent and sudden raids to be conducted on the hospitals and Ultra-Sound centres. The culprits must be severely punished.

So far, preference for son is concern, there should be massive awareness to be created that girls are not incapable of the boys and the lessons of facilities of the girl child must be taught by the educated parents to the illiterate parents. This can reduce the difference and disparity in sex ratio.