Mandya district has lowest birth sex ratio in Karnataka
BENGALURU: Despite raising awareness among people and both the central and State governments promoting programmes to save the girl child, the Child Rights Index report released by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) on November 20 stated that the child sex ratio at birth (0-6 years) is still a concern in the state. The report is a study by S Madheswaran and BP Vani from the Institute for Social and Economic Change. In Karnataka, several districts have been identified with low sex ratios at birth, including Mandya, Bagalkot, Bidar, Chikkaballapur and Kalaburagi. These are districts with lower than 900 sex ratio at birth in one year or other. However, Indias SDG Index has a target sex ratio at birth of 950 females per 1,000 males. Mandya district has consistently shown a low sex ratio for four years 884 in 2020, 873 in 2021, 877 in 2022 and 887 in 2023. The sex ratio in the other districts in 2023 was 919 in Bagalkot, 920 in Bidar, 910 in Kalaburagi and 937 in Chikkaballapur. In 2022, the ratio in these districts stood at less than 900. The report calls it a matter of concern because the sex ratio at birth in the state was stable until 2011, and has declined to 916 during 2018-20. There is a drastic decline in child sex ratio from 975 in 1981 to 946 in 2001, it inched up to 948 in 2011 and declined again during 2018-20. Studies relating to sex ratio indicate that this could be due to a higher prevalence of sex selective abortions. It could also be due to imbalance in sex ratio at birth and excess female mortality (though male infants have higher rate of mortality than female infants) as compared to males post birth. There are various factors responsible for low female ratio, including gender-based differences in feeding practices, healthcare-seeking behaviour and difference in immunisation rates between boys and girls, states the report. The overall sex ratio is influenced by decreasing fertility rates and reduced family size, it said. Venkatesh, a member of KSCPCR in Mandya, said, It is difficult to trace these abortion centres unless someone from the same group reveals the truth. In one case, the centre was being operated in a jaggery manufacturing factory in a village. After doing an ultrasound, they referred these patients to various abortion centres. When we come across issues like female infanticide, we inspect the place and on finding evidence, we report to the police. However, the issue is still a matter of concern. We wouldnt want Mandya to be known as the centre for female infanticide. The practice exists even now, when parents want their first child to be a son or dont want a second girl child.
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