infanticide The sex ratio is the ratio of males to the females in a population. In India, the child sex ratio has decreased over the decade from to female for every males. To correct this ratio, steps are needed to change the mind set and attitudes of people, especially in the young adults. Female foeticide and infanticide is the manifestation of gender discrimination in our society.
Female foeticide refers to ‘aborting the female in the mother’s womb’; whereas female infanticide is ‘killing the female child after her birth’. These have resulted in imbalance in sex ratio. In UNDP’s GII (United nations developmental programmes gender inequality index) reflected that India was ranked at out of countries due to availability of very few economic opportunities to women as compared to men. In order to prevent female foeticide and infanticide, Government of India has taken various steps like PCPNDT Act (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act- ) enacted to ban the identification of sex and to prevent the use of prenatal diagnostic techniques for selective abortion.
Various measures are taken by the Government to ensure survival, provision of better nutrition, education, protection and empowerment of girls by eliminating the differences in the sex ratio, infant mortality rate and improving their nutritional and educational status. POCSO Act (Prevention Of Children from Sexual Offences), Sexual harassment at workplace (Prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act and the changes in the Criminal law based Globally, about women die every day of preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth; per cent of these women are from India. Similarly India's infant mortality rate was per , live. Although, India has witnessed dramatic growth over the last two decades, maternal mortality still remains high as in comparison to many developing nations.
source: XII Std Biology-Zoology Chapter- XII Std Biology-Zoology Chapter- Reproductive Health on the recommendations of Justice Verma Committee , aims at creating a safe and secure environment for both females and males.