Improvements in Registration Highlight Gender Imbalance in India
New findings from India's birth and death registration show progress tracking demographic shifts,but gender disparities at birth linger. Better registration is noted, yet challenges persist,especially balancing births of males and females .
Arunachal Pradesh leads with 1,050 girls per 1,000 boys. Andaman and Nicobar Islands follow at 984, Meghalaya at 974, and Mizoram at 972. Meanwhile,Nagaland and Lakshadweep show troubling figures of 865; Jharkhand slightly better at 890 . Kerala fares better at 970, but national average is 917 .
Preference for sons skews India's sex ratios,with Haryana and Punjab often showing low numbers. Haryana's 2011 Census had only 834 girls per 1,000 boys. Imbalance drives efforts for gender equality.
The latest report shows 81,117 stillbirths, with 69% in urban areas. Registration system's growth aids demographic understanding,as registered births rose from 25.21 million to 25.47 million . Death registrations also increased from 8.66 million to 8.94 million.
13 regions now exceed 90% birth registration,and 15 surpass that for deaths . Birth registration reached 99.1%, deaths at 99.4%. These numbers reflect better data collection, not shifts in fertility or mortality.
Though the 1969 RBD Act requires all births and deaths be registered, adherence varies by region. Efforts since December 2006 aim to simplify reporting, yet full compliance remains elusive.
Data shows progress and long road ahead for gender balance and full civil registration across India…
