News by YKA Staff:
Gujarat has reported a decline in sex ratio in the last decade whereas the rest of the country has registered an overall increase.
The sex ratio in Gujarat has come down to 919 in 2011 from 920 in 2001 as against significant increase of 10 points in the national average during this period, according to the Socio-Economic Review for 2015-16 tabled in the State Assembly recently.
As against the national figure of 943, the overall sex ratio of Gujarat was 919 in 2011, the Review said. With 919 females for every 1000 males, Gujarat ranked 22nd among 28 states as per the 2011 Census.
However, rural areas fared comparatively well in improving the ratio than urban centers. “In rural areas of the state, it has increased by 4 points from 945 in 2001 to 949 in 2011; while in urban areas it remained at 880 in both the years,” said the Review citing the Census records.
Other states, especially long-term defaulters like Haryana, also need to pull up their socks when it comes to maintaining the sex ratio.
While the Haryana government recently awarded three districts in the state for registering an improvement in the sex ratio, at least ten villages in Jind district have reported a sex ratio of below 500. According to a report in Tribune, Dharoli Khera in Jind has 217 females against 1000 males, the lowest among the ten villages.
Bihar has done better lately but its sex ratio is still lower than the national average of 943 females per 1000 males (according to the 2011 census).
Incidentally, data suggests that the sex ratio is better when a couple has more than two children.
For a state with a female CM, Gujarat’s sex ratio is certainly worrying. However, other states also need to keep a close watch on illegal sex-determination within their boundaries so that the sex ratio in the country becomes uniform across regions.
With inputs from PTI.