Pratidin
Society, justice and ethicsData setsCensus 2011

Sex ratio

943 females per 1,000 males.

Written by Pratidin; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work

The child sex ratio is a separate, lower figure. Use in society and gender answers.

Practise this in the app: flashcards, quiz and a timed answer
Prelims

Quick recall

What was the overall sex ratio in Census 2011?
943 females per 1,000 males.
What was the child sex ratio in Census 2011?
918.
Which State had the highest sex ratio in 2011?
Kerala.
What did NFHS-5 record?
1,020 women per 1,000 men in its sample.
Which law bans sex determination?
The PCPNDT Act, 1994.
Which scheme addresses the child sex ratio?
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015).

Asked before in UPSC

Recurring theme: Regional and social variations in sex ratio

Mains
  1. 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marks

    How do you explain the statistics that show that the sex ratio in Tribes in India is more favourable to women than the sex ratio among Scheduled Castes?

    Census 2011 sex ratios for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes against the national 943 frame the comparison.

  2. 2014 · GS1 · 10 marks

    Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women? Give your arguments.

    Census 2011 figures (943 overall, with lower ratios in prosperous states) are the data this answer should cite.

The basics

Why it matters

Sex ratio, the number of females per 1,000 males, reflects gender discrimination, especially before birth. Census 2011 is the last full count.

943
Females per 1,000 males, Census 2011
The child sex ratio (0-6 years) was 918.

Two measures

The overall and child sex ratios tell different stories.

Sex ratio, Census 2011
Overall
  • 943 females per 1,000 males
  • Kerala highest
vs
Child (0-6 years)
  • 918, a record low
  • Signals sex selection

You now know

  • Census 2011 overall sex ratio: 943.
  • Child sex ratio (0-6): 918.
  • NFHS-5 (2019-21) recorded 1,020 women per 1,000 men in its household sample.
  • The PCPNDT Act, 1994 bans sex determination.

Go deeper

In one line: India's sex ratio, especially among children, reveals the cost of son preference.

Why it matters for UPSC

Census figures are standard Prelims facts.

The core idea

A low child sex ratio signals Sex-selective abortion; responses include law and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

Where to go next

In one line: Survey data show improvement, but a new census is needed to confirm it.

Caveats

NFHS is a sample and uses de jure household members; census is a full count. See Sex-selective abortion and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

Where to go next

Sex-selective abortion

Why girls go missing

In one line: Sex-selective abortion is terminating pregnancies because the foetus is female.

Law

Sex determination is banned under the PCPNDT Act.

Driver

Son preference and small family norms.

Where to go next

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

The 2015 campaign

In one line: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, launched in 2015 in Panipat, aims to improve the child sex ratio and girls' education.

Ministries

Women and Child Development, Health, Education.

Where to go next

Prelims-style quiz

  1. The child sex ratio in Census 2011 was:

    1. 914
    2. 943
    3. 927
    4. 918
    Show answer

    Answer: (d) 918. 918.

  2. Consider the following:
    1. Census 2011 recorded 943 females per 1,000 males.
    2. NFHS is a full population census.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 only. NFHS is a sample survey.

  3. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was launched in:

    1. 2018
    2. 2011
    3. 2020
    4. 2015
    Show answer

    Answer: (d) 2015. 2015, in Panipat.

  4. The PCPNDT Act was passed in:

    1. 2005
    2. 1994
    3. 1971
    4. 2013
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) 1994. 1994.

Syllabus

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