Marginal rise in India's sex ratio at birth

Chhattisgarh reports the highest ratio of 970 while Haryana records the lowest (864)

India's sex ratio at birth has risen one point - from 908 in 2010-2012 to 909 in 2011-2013 - according to the latest sample registration system. In rural areas, the ratio was 910, while in urban areas, it stood at 906.

The ratio saw a marked difference across states. While Chhattisgarh reported the highest ratio of 970, Haryana recorded the lowest (864).

Among rural areas, the highest was in Chhattisgarh (977) and the lowest in Punjab (861). For urban areas, the ratio varied from 983 in Kerala to 854 in Jharkhand.

Writing in The Indian Express, economist Surjit Bhalla and sociologist Ravinder Kaur had argued the emerging middle class (which had a propensity to screen the gender of an unborn child), as proportion of the overall population, was declining. As such, the two had said, the sex ratio should actually improve, as largely, the 'mature middle class' didn't determine the sex of foetuses.

The fall in the child sex ratio (for those aged up to four) - from 914 in 2009-11 to 909 in 2011-13 - presents a concern. In rural areas, this ratio stood at 911, while in urban areas, it was 902. At the state level, the ratio was the highest in Chhattisgarh (1,004); the lowest was in Haryana and Punjab. Experts said the deterioration in the child sex ratio was due to a combination of nutritional neglect and preference for the male child, which led to fewer resources being spent on the medical care of young girls.

Data from the survey showed at an all-India level, the infant mortality rate (IMR) declined by two points - from 42 in 2012 to 40 in 2013. The decline is steeper in rural areas (from 58 in 2008 to 44 in 2013) compared to urban areas (from 36 in 2008 to 27 in 2013). But both genders saw a similar decline for the period. The highest IMR was recorded in Assam and Madhya Pradesh, at 54, while the lowest was in Kerala (12).