Sex ratio at birth drops in 17 states, Gujarat sees worst dip: Niti Aayog

NEWDELHI: The sex ratio at birth (SRB) saw a decline in 17 out of 21 large states of the country, with Gujarat recording an alarming dip of 53 points, a report released by the government’s policy think tank Niti Aayog stated, stressing the need to check sex-selective abortion.

According to the report, among the 17 states which recorded substantial drop of 10 points or more, in Gujarat the sex ratio at birth fell to 854 females from 907 females per 1,000 males born registering a drop of 53 points from 2012-14 (base year) to 2013-15 (reference year) in this indicator.

Gujarat is followed by Haryana, which registered a drop of 35 points, Rajasthan (32 points), Uttarakhand (27 points), Maharashtra (18 points), Himachal Pradesh (14 points), Chhattisgarh (drop of 12 points), and Karnataka (11 points), the ‘Healthy States, Progressive India’ report states.

“There is a clear need for states to effectively implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 and take appropriate measures to promote the value of the girl child,” the report released last week stated.

According to the report, improvement in sex ratio at birth was witnessed in Punjab, which registered a rise of 19 points, followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 points) and Bihar (9 points).

“Sex ratio at birth is an important indicator and reflects the extent to which there is reduction in number of girl children born by sex-selective abortions,” the Niti Aayog report added.

ACCORDING TO THE NITI AAYOG REPORT, PUNJAB RECORDED THE HIGHEST IMPROVEMENT IN THE SEX RATIO AT BIRTH FOLLOWED BY UP, BIHAR