Nagpur registers small rise in sex ratio at birth

NAGPUR: The big campaign against sex discrimination, which was carried out in the city for the last two years, seems have bore no fruit. In the year 2013, the city recorded a birth sex ratio of 937 girls per 1000 boys. The data reveals that the sex ratio at birth in the city had gone up only slightly from that recorded in 2012 (sex ratio was 929:1000).Also, the number of births has increased by 29% in 2013 as against that in 2012.
However, it is disturbing to find that the sex ratio at birth for the year 2013 is much less than the overall sex ratio of the city. According to the 2011 census, the city's overall sex ratio was 961:1000 and the sex ratio (in the age group of 0-6 years) was 921:1000. These data show that the sex ratio has improved in 2013.
The city's sex ratio at birth for 2013 is slightly higher than the overall sex ratio of the state, but less than that of the entire country. As per the census, the overall sex ratio of the state was 929:1000 as against country's 943:1000. This ratio is far better when compared to state's child sex ratio in the same year. In 2011, state's child sex ratio was 894:1000 as compared to the national ratio of 929:1000.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) calculated the sex ratio at birth by compiling the number of babies born in the city in 2013. The data proves that there has been no lull in sex discrimination. The data also questions the efficacy of laws that have been made to prevent such discriminations. It raises doubt over the effectiveness of various awareness campaigns that have been carried out till date. The data makes a mockery of the tall claims made by civic authorities and doctors that in 2013 there would be an improvement in the sex ratio due to the effective implementation of laws.
According to the data, the number of boys born in 2013 was 27,349 and the number of girls was 29,165. The number of births in 2013 was recorded to be the highest in last six years. It was 29% more than that of 2012. A total of 56,514 babies were born in 2013 while in 2012 the number was 39,872, 48,362 in 2011, 51,778 in 2010, 52,377 in 2009, 51,619 in 2008 and 48,363 in 2007.
The officials at the NMC's birth and death registration department said that the system of online registration that began last year has enabled them to compile the data more efficiently. "Data used to be compiled manually till 2012. However, in 2013 NMC gave online access to all private and government maternity homes in the city. Around 350 private hospitals and all government and NMC-run hospitals excluding Mayo Hospital register births online. Representatives of each hospital register the data regarding a birth immediately and NMC issues the birth certificate within two days and that too online," the official said.
Expressing satisfaction on the slight increase in sex ratio at birth, NMC's medical officer (hospital) Dr Savita Meshram said that increase in sex ratio cannot happen suddenly. "The steady rise in the sex ratio since 2011 is an achievement for NMC. There is no doubt that sex determination still continues, however, not to a great extent. It has come to fore that some people from the city go to other towns for sex determination after officials began strictly monitoring the radiology centres here. Besides, it takes time to change the mindset of radiologists and others who are engaged in such activities. Also monitoring is almost impossible round the clock. It has also come to fore that some radiology centres refrain from maintaining record of such examinations," she said.