As per Census 2011 most of the major urban centres in Gujarat showed skewed child sex ratio. The worst among them is the Surat District with 788 females to 1000 (2001: 810). This is for the district as a whole, for urban areas it is only 757. Kutch District which is fast industrialising the ratio has come down to 907 from 942 in 2001. This is despite the fact that population of urban areas has grown faster than the rural areas of these districts, but sex ratio has come down considerably.
The Child-sex ratio of the 5 worst districts are, Surat, 836, Mehsana 845, Gandhinagar 847, Rajkot 854 & Ahemdabad 859.
While the best districts are The Dangs 963, Tapi 944, Dahod 937, Narmada 937 & Valsad 926.
The above is indicative of the country-wide trend that more & more urban areas, with large facilities of scan facilities are falling victims to the worsening sex-ratios. The NGOs working in these areas should consider undertaking projects with the concerned civic agencies to develop strategies for ensuring that such centres are monitored effectively to minimise gender selection tests.
In this regard, please refer to earlier post on SRRF Dialogue which highlighted how Kolhapur administration was able to reverse the declining child sex ratio using a software called ‘silent observer’ at various scan facilitiy centres. http://blog.srr-foundation.org/?p=568
________________________________
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place,
New Delhi – 110008