The role of secondary sex ratios in the declining sex ratio of India.

ABSTRACT

The sex ratio in India has been gradually declining since the beginning of this century during the intercensus period of 1981-91, this ratio declined from 933 to 929. In the past the difference in sex ratios was wholly attributed to higher mortality amongst the females. However date for the years 1990-92 on secondary sex ratios i.e. sex ratio at birth presented in this paper suggest that the difference in sex ratio can also be attributed to a statistically significant higher number of males being born most probably as a result of selective abortion of female fetuses.