According to census 2011 the sex ratio of children 0-6 showed a
decline from 927 in 2001 to 914 in 2011. (The normal sex ratio
is around 950 girls to boys i.e. biologically, at birth, for
every 1000 boys born, about 5 percent less girls are born). This
declining 0-6 sex ratio would suggest that the gender bias is
getting worse. The Census 2011 also collected information on the
sex ratio at birth for children born in the previous 12 months,
February 2010 to February 2011. But this information has not
been released. Until then, we need to look for other sources of
data to corroborate the possibility of a turnaround in India’s
sex ratio at birth (SRB). However, we have an alternate source
of data on the sex ratio at birth — the periodic, large sample
consumer expenditure surveys conducted by the NSS (the very same
surveys used to calculate poverty). The NSS data which is found
to be reasonably accurate, observe the SRB in the 2009-10 survey
at a stunning level of 978 — that is, no aggregate problem with
sex-sele