Which statements are true for the sex ratios in India?
A. Girl babies are severely neglected, leading to higher death rates.
B. The lowest sex ratios are found in the most prosperous regions of India.
C. The government introduced policies to protect sex ratios of girls in India.
D. Sex ratios are severely increasing in all parts of India.
E. Sex-specific abortions impact the sex ratio in India.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B, C and E only
A. Girl babies are severely neglected, leading to higher death rates. Correct. Severe neglect of girl babies in infancy, leading to higher death rates, is one of the factors behind the fall in the child sex ratio.
B. The lowest sex ratios are found in the most prosperous regions of India. Correct. Strikingly, the lowest child sex ratios are found in the most prosperous regions, such as Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. So the problem is not caused by poverty or ignorance.
C. The government introduced policies to protect sex ratios of girls in India. Correct. The government has passed strict laws banning sex determination and selective abortion, with heavy fines and imprisonment; the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act has been in force since 1996 and was strengthened in 2003.
D. Sex ratios are severely increasing in all parts of India. Incorrect. The trend is the opposite: India has had a declining sex ratio for more than a century, and the child sex ratio has fallen sharply.
E. Sex-specific abortions impact the sex ratio in India. Correct. Sex-specific abortions prevent girl babies from being born and are a major cause of the low child sex ratio; ultrasound technology made them possible.
NCERT (2025-26): “2.4 The Declining Sex-ratio in India … Several factors may be held responsible for the decline in the child sex ratio, including severe neglect of girl babies in infancy, leading to higher death rates; sex-specific abortions that prevent girl babies from being born; and female infanticide (or the killing of girl babies due to religious or cultural beliefs).… …It is striking that the lowest child sex ratios are found in the most prosperous regions of India. According to the Economic Survey for a recent year, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi are having high per capita income and the child sex ratio of these states is still low.… Sometimes economically prosperous families decide to have fewer children – often only one or two now – they may also wish to choose the sex of their child. This becomes possible with the availablity of ultra-sound technology, although the government has passed strict laws banning this practice and imposing heavy fines and imprisonment as punishment. Known as the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, this law has been in force since 1996, and has been further strengthened in 2003.…” |