<p>The latest figures compiled by the government on registration of births and deaths have presented a dismal picture of sex ratio at birth as it has slipped below 900 for the first time in last three years.<br /><br /></p>.<p>According to ‘Annual Report on Vital Statistics of India based on Civil Registration System-2013’, the sex ratio at birth based on registered events was 898 in 2013, which is a drop from 908 in 2012 and 909 in 2011. <br /><br />The highest birth sex ratio has been reported from Tripura (1,055) followed by Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh (978), Daman and Diu (961) and Sikkim (956).<br /> <br />The lowest sex ratio has been reported by Manipur (700) followed by Haryana (840). “The sex ratio at birth for the country ranges from 872 to 909 over the years 2004-2013. <br /><br />Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Sikkim have the distinction of being the only major states reporting favourable sex ratio at birth in last so many years,” the report said.<br /><br />Karnataka’s slip<br /><br />Karnataka had a sex ratio above 1,000 for consecutive years from 2007 but slipped below the four-digit mark in the past three years. <br /><br />While it had touched the highest of 1,047 in 2008, it had slipped to 971 in 2012 and 943 in 2013.<br /><br />The child sex ratio (0-6 years), according to Census 2011, is 927. Poor registration of females in majority of the bigger states could be one reason for the dismal numbers.<br /><br />Registration increases<br /><br />According to the report, the registration of births and deaths have shown an increasing trend with latest figures showing that 2.24 crore births and 60.86 lakh deaths getting into official records in 2013, a rise from 2.21 crore and 58.50 lakh, respectively, in 2012.<br /><br />The registration of births has increased from 84.5 per cent of the estimated births in 2012 to 85.5 per cent in 2013 while that of death rose from 69.3 per cent to 70.9 per cent.<br /> If one excludes two highly populous and poorly performing states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the level of registration of births is 96.8 per cent.<br /><br />The improvement in the numbers could be gauged if one compares the figures in 1982 when 84 lakh births were registered compared to 2.24 crore in 2013. <br /><br />“The share of registered births to total estimated births is increasing year by year which shows a gradual improvement in birth registration,” the report said.<br /><br />Thirteen among 20 major states, including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal—have crossed 90 per cent level of registration of births.<br /><br />The number of registered deaths, on the other hand, has more than doubled in the year 2013 (60.86 lakh) to 1982 (25 lakh). Karnataka had registered 10.68 lakh births in 2013, down from 11.24 lakh in the previous year while it recorded 4.13 lakh deaths in 2013 as against 4.07 lakh in 2012.<br /></p>
<p>The latest figures compiled by the government on registration of births and deaths have presented a dismal picture of sex ratio at birth as it has slipped below 900 for the first time in last three years.<br /><br /></p>.<p>According to ‘Annual Report on Vital Statistics of India based on Civil Registration System-2013’, the sex ratio at birth based on registered events was 898 in 2013, which is a drop from 908 in 2012 and 909 in 2011. <br /><br />The highest birth sex ratio has been reported from Tripura (1,055) followed by Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh (978), Daman and Diu (961) and Sikkim (956).<br /> <br />The lowest sex ratio has been reported by Manipur (700) followed by Haryana (840). “The sex ratio at birth for the country ranges from 872 to 909 over the years 2004-2013. <br /><br />Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Sikkim have the distinction of being the only major states reporting favourable sex ratio at birth in last so many years,” the report said.<br /><br />Karnataka’s slip<br /><br />Karnataka had a sex ratio above 1,000 for consecutive years from 2007 but slipped below the four-digit mark in the past three years. <br /><br />While it had touched the highest of 1,047 in 2008, it had slipped to 971 in 2012 and 943 in 2013.<br /><br />The child sex ratio (0-6 years), according to Census 2011, is 927. Poor registration of females in majority of the bigger states could be one reason for the dismal numbers.<br /><br />Registration increases<br /><br />According to the report, the registration of births and deaths have shown an increasing trend with latest figures showing that 2.24 crore births and 60.86 lakh deaths getting into official records in 2013, a rise from 2.21 crore and 58.50 lakh, respectively, in 2012.<br /><br />The registration of births has increased from 84.5 per cent of the estimated births in 2012 to 85.5 per cent in 2013 while that of death rose from 69.3 per cent to 70.9 per cent.<br /> If one excludes two highly populous and poorly performing states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the level of registration of births is 96.8 per cent.<br /><br />The improvement in the numbers could be gauged if one compares the figures in 1982 when 84 lakh births were registered compared to 2.24 crore in 2013. <br /><br />“The share of registered births to total estimated births is increasing year by year which shows a gradual improvement in birth registration,” the report said.<br /><br />Thirteen among 20 major states, including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal—have crossed 90 per cent level of registration of births.<br /><br />The number of registered deaths, on the other hand, has more than doubled in the year 2013 (60.86 lakh) to 1982 (25 lakh). Karnataka had registered 10.68 lakh births in 2013, down from 11.24 lakh in the previous year while it recorded 4.13 lakh deaths in 2013 as against 4.07 lakh in 2012.<br /></p>
