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child sex ratio decline India reasons NFHS states improved districts

Here are complete answers to all three questions:

Q1. Two Reasons for Declining Child Sex Ratio in India

1. Sex-Selective Abortions (Female Foeticide) The widespread availability of ultrasound and amniocentesis technology has enabled sex determination before birth, leading to deliberate termination of female foetuses. This is especially prevalent in states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Despite the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, enforcement gaps have allowed this practice to persist.
2. Son Preference Rooted in Patriarchal Social Norms Deep-rooted cultural preference for male children — driven by factors like dowry burden, patrilineal property inheritance, reliance on sons for old-age support, and the perception that daughters are an economic liability — leads families to either abort female foetuses or underreport/neglect girl children. This is compounded by the "small family norm" (desire for 1–2 children), which intensifies pressure to have at least one son.
Additional factors include higher female infant/child mortality due to neglect, and undercounting of girls in censuses.

Q2. States/Districts with Improved Child Sex Ratio (NFHS)

Based on NFHS-4 (2015-16) to NFHS-5 (2019-21):
States that improved:
  • Haryana – Sex ratio at birth improved from ~831 (NFHS-4) to ~893 (NFHS-5), one of the most notable gains, partly attributed to the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign which was launched here.
  • Punjab – Showed improvement from 798 (2001 Census) to 846 (2011 Census) and has continued an upward trend.
  • Rajasthan – Marginal improvement in SRB.
  • Karnataka – Significant improvement from 910 (NFHS-4) to 978 (NFHS-5).
  • Gujarat – Improved from 906 to 955.
  • Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh (earlier rounds) – Also recorded gains.
States with alarming decline (for contrast):
  • Tamil Nadu (−76 points), Himachal Pradesh (−62 points), Odisha (−38 points) showed declines in NFHS-5.
At the national level, SRB improved from 919 (NFHS-4) to 929 (NFHS-5).

Q3. What Contributed to Improvements in Child Sex Ratio in Select Districts?

Several factors have driven improvements in districts like Rewari, Mahendragarh (Haryana), and others:
  1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign (launched 2015) – Targeted initially at 100 districts with the worst child sex ratios; combined mass awareness, community mobilization, and strict enforcement of PCPNDT Act. Rewari (Haryana) was one of the first districts to show measurable gains.
  2. Strict enforcement of PCPNDT Act – Sealing of illegal ultrasound centers, decoy operations ("sting operations"), prosecution of violators, and regular audits of sex-ratio data at facility level.
  3. Community-level behavior change programs – Nukkad nataks (street plays), self-help group (SHG) mobilization, panchayat engagement, and local influencer campaigns challenging son preference.
  4. Incentive schemes for girl children – Schemes like Ladli (Haryana/Delhi), Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and conditional cash transfers for girls' birth, education, and delayed marriage.
  5. Improved female education and women's empowerment – As women's literacy, age at marriage, and workforce participation increase, son preference weakens and girls' survival improves.
  6. Political will and monitoring – District-level sex ratio monitoring with accountability of officials, public display of SRB data, and naming/shaming of poorly performing districts created administrative pressure.
In summary: The decline in child sex ratio is primarily driven by sex-selective abortion and son preference. Improvements have occurred most visibly in Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, and Gujarat, largely through a combination of legal enforcement, targeted government campaigns (BBBP), and shifts in social attitudes toward girls.
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