Those of us concerned with the rapidly falling Sex Ratio (SR), as a result of rampant Sex Selective Abortions (SSA), had been waiting expectantly for the Census 2011. Now that it is out, data based on the provisional totals of Census 2011 reveals that the Child Sex Ratio (CSR, the sex ratio of children in the age group 0-6 years) in Andhra Pradesh has declined by 18 points: from 961 girls for every 1000 boys in 2001 census to 943 girls in 2011 census. The All-India CSR fell by 13 points from 927 in 2001 to 914 in 2011 during the same period.
If we look at the district-wise data in Andhra Pradesh and compare the 2011 figures with those of 1991 and 2001 (see box), we can figure out which districts are painting a grim picture of disappearing girl children. (In the adjoining box, the relative ranking of each district's CSR is shown in brackets. The higher the district is ranked, the poorer the sex ratio there. The districts not named in the box have shown a 10-20 drop in CSR). Warangal tops the chart having witnessed a consistent dip in the child sex ratio in the last three census. In districts such as Nalgonda, the ranking has fallen from 17 in 1991 to third in 2001 and in 2011. The table also points out Vijayanagaram, which even though ranked at 19 with a CSR of 955 in the Census 2011, has witnessed a decline of 24 points in CSR during the decade and that is a cause for concern. On the other hand, Hyderabad's CSR has improved in the last decade. Figure this: Hyderabad stood at rank 3 in the Census 1991, its child sex ratio being the third poorest in the state. It further worsened in 2001 when Hyderabad had the lowest child sex ratio among the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh. But it moved up impressively and is now ranked 10 in the Census 2011 with a decadal decline of only 4 points in CSR.
Any district with a decline of more than 10 points in CSR implies a distortion in the child sex ratio because of sex selective abortions. In AP, there are 19 such districts (except East Godavari, Nellore, Hyderabad and West Godavari) indicating that the PNDT Act is not being implemented properly.
A quick number crunching of census figures indicates how the number of girls in the age group (0-6 years) during the years 2005-11 has dipped. (The calculation is done by first finding out the decadal decline in CSR between 2001 and 2011 and multiplying this number by the actual number of boys in the age-group of 0-6 years).
If the all India figure of the girls who went missing in the 2005-11 period is 1,078,378 girls, Andhra Pradesh makes a whopping contribution of 78,847 missing girls to the disturbing all-India number. The maximum decline has been in Warangal (7,280 missing girls) followed closely by Anantapur (6,768), Nalgonda (5,579), YSR District (5,237), Chittoor (5,157), Mahbubnagar (5,192) and Kurnool (5,062). This decline only indicates the drop in the last six years and the actual decline during the 2001-2011 decade would be much higher.
The districts which have shown the worst decline in CSR are those that have witnessed a manifold growth in ultra-sound scan machines such as Mahbubnagar where scan machines increased by 146% during 2004-08. A similar trend was observed in Nalgonda, Anantapur, YSR District, Warangal and Karimnagar.
There's another shock in waiting. The provisional figures of the Census for urban areas is due shortly. Given the declining CSR in some districts which have major cities/urban population, it is feared that Urban Child Sex Ratio would be even worse in the case of Warangal, Kadapa town, Anantapur Town, Kurnool, Karimnagar Town, Nalgonda Town, Tirupathi and Chittoor Town and Visakhapatnam city. The CSR for Hyderabad city will not change from the one noticed in provisional Census 2011 since the district and the city are co-terminus.
A heartening feature has been the reversal of trends in favour of girl child in Hyderabad, which had recorded the lowest CSR in 2001 census. However, a drive was taken up during 2005-06 when the district authorities implemented the Prenatal Diagnostic (prevention of misuse) Act 1996 vigorously. The trend of falling sex ratio during these years in Hyderabad was actually reversed, a feat that was discussed even in Parliament. The enforcement continued in the subsequent years, albeit a bit subdued. As a result, the decline in CSR in Hyderabad during the latter half (2005-11) of the decade 2001-11 has been the second lowest in the state (only West Godavari district has a better containment of the decline). There is a lesson in this. It proves that the Act, if implemented properly in the district, will yield result.
(The author is an IAS officer who earlier served as collector of Hyderabad. These are his personal views.)
If we look at the district-wise data in Andhra Pradesh and compare the 2011 figures with those of 1991 and 2001 (see box), we can figure out which districts are painting a grim picture of disappearing girl children. (In the adjoining box, the relative ranking of each district's CSR is shown in brackets. The higher the district is ranked, the poorer the sex ratio there. The districts not named in the box have shown a 10-20 drop in CSR). Warangal tops the chart having witnessed a consistent dip in the child sex ratio in the last three census. In districts such as Nalgonda, the ranking has fallen from 17 in 1991 to third in 2001 and in 2011. The table also points out Vijayanagaram, which even though ranked at 19 with a CSR of 955 in the Census 2011, has witnessed a decline of 24 points in CSR during the decade and that is a cause for concern. On the other hand, Hyderabad's CSR has improved in the last decade. Figure this: Hyderabad stood at rank 3 in the Census 1991, its child sex ratio being the third poorest in the state. It further worsened in 2001 when Hyderabad had the lowest child sex ratio among the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh. But it moved up impressively and is now ranked 10 in the Census 2011 with a decadal decline of only 4 points in CSR.
Any district with a decline of more than 10 points in CSR implies a distortion in the child sex ratio because of sex selective abortions. In AP, there are 19 such districts (except East Godavari, Nellore, Hyderabad and West Godavari) indicating that the PNDT Act is not being implemented properly.
A quick number crunching of census figures indicates how the number of girls in the age group (0-6 years) during the years 2005-11 has dipped. (The calculation is done by first finding out the decadal decline in CSR between 2001 and 2011 and multiplying this number by the actual number of boys in the age-group of 0-6 years).
If the all India figure of the girls who went missing in the 2005-11 period is 1,078,378 girls, Andhra Pradesh makes a whopping contribution of 78,847 missing girls to the disturbing all-India number. The maximum decline has been in Warangal (7,280 missing girls) followed closely by Anantapur (6,768), Nalgonda (5,579), YSR District (5,237), Chittoor (5,157), Mahbubnagar (5,192) and Kurnool (5,062). This decline only indicates the drop in the last six years and the actual decline during the 2001-2011 decade would be much higher.
The districts which have shown the worst decline in CSR are those that have witnessed a manifold growth in ultra-sound scan machines such as Mahbubnagar where scan machines increased by 146% during 2004-08. A similar trend was observed in Nalgonda, Anantapur, YSR District, Warangal and Karimnagar.
There's another shock in waiting. The provisional figures of the Census for urban areas is due shortly. Given the declining CSR in some districts which have major cities/urban population, it is feared that Urban Child Sex Ratio would be even worse in the case of Warangal, Kadapa town, Anantapur Town, Kurnool, Karimnagar Town, Nalgonda Town, Tirupathi and Chittoor Town and Visakhapatnam city. The CSR for Hyderabad city will not change from the one noticed in provisional Census 2011 since the district and the city are co-terminus.
A heartening feature has been the reversal of trends in favour of girl child in Hyderabad, which had recorded the lowest CSR in 2001 census. However, a drive was taken up during 2005-06 when the district authorities implemented the Prenatal Diagnostic (prevention of misuse) Act 1996 vigorously. The trend of falling sex ratio during these years in Hyderabad was actually reversed, a feat that was discussed even in Parliament. The enforcement continued in the subsequent years, albeit a bit subdued. As a result, the decline in CSR in Hyderabad during the latter half (2005-11) of the decade 2001-11 has been the second lowest in the state (only West Godavari district has a better containment of the decline). There is a lesson in this. It proves that the Act, if implemented properly in the district, will yield result.
(The author is an IAS officer who earlier served as collector of Hyderabad. These are his personal views.)
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