The sex ratio is a broad social indicator, which reveals the ground realities that exist in the fabric of the society and also one of the tools to measure gender equity in a population. It is a key indicator to monitor the development pulse of a country. It is commonly understood that males and females in the population balance each other in number. Little do they know sexes are imbalanced in different population across the worlds .According to United Nation estimates, the world had 986 females against 1000 males in 2000. Except Indonesia and Japan, all other Asian countries have low sex ratios. However, most of the developed European countries have high sex ratio. Interestingly the sheer weight of the population of the four Asian countries, particularly China (944) and India (933) with low sex ratio contributes to the preponderance of males over fameless in world. In developing countries such as India, sex ratio is generally skewed in favour of the males. In the past decades, Indian patriarchal society creates a gender imbalance by viewing the male as an asset and the female as a liability for the family.

Moreover, in agrarian societies, sons are desirable as hands to work the field, and small towns value sons as an asset in the fight against the "encroaching urban society". In addition, many couples depend on a son to care for them in their old age and assist in the financial stability of the family. Thus, sons are sought after because Indian culture dictates that a son remains in the family after marriage while a daughter leaves to join her husband's family.

Population enumeration in terms of gender composition is a key indicator to monitor the development pulse of a country. The sex ratio is defined as ‘number of females per 1000 males’ in a reference period. As per the population of Census 2011, the sex ratio of India is 940, which recorded as 933 in 2001. Thus, the sex ration ratio at the National level has risen by seven points. In rural area, it gained one point from 946 in 2001 to 947 in 2011, whereas in urban area gained twenty-six points from 920 in 2001 to 296 in 2011 even though sex ratio was much lower. In India, National Family Health Survey (NFHS) of various phases provides data on socio-economic, demographic, cultural, health aspects etc. Recent survey revealed that improvement in the sex ratio of the total population (females per 1,000 males) from NFHS-4 (2015-16) to the first phase of NFHS-5 (2019-20) in 16 states and 4 Union Territories had recorded.

Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) reflects the level of sex bias of children by the parents. It reveals the preference of male than female children and an indicator of status of girls in the society. An adverse sex ratio at birth is also reflected in the distorted gender makeup of the entire population. In general, sex ratio at birth defined as ‘the ratio of male births to female births’. However, because reliable statistics on sex selective abortions do not exist, sex ratio at birth of children in the last five years (females per 1000 males) had been collected by NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-20) treating as an indirect indicator of sex selective abortion. The natural “Sex Ratio at Birth” is often considered to be around 105. This means that at birth on average, there are 105 males for every 100 females. In a study around 2002, the natural sex ratio at birth was estimated to be close to 1.06 males per female (Grech. V, et al; 2002)^.

A normal gender ratio at birth is between 102-106 boys per 100 girls, which would be equivalent to 943-980 girls per 1,000 boys, according to a report by organizations working on gender issues. This ratio is not 1,000 boys for every 1,000 girls because it is nature’s way of balancing a higher risk of death for boys as they grow older, according to the World Health Organization.

In anthropology and demography, the human sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. In uninterrupted conditions, the sex ratio in humans is approximately 1:1. But, due to high rate of sex selective abortions, female fetal mortality has been higher (Orzack, S. H et al, 2015 ); thereby the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) worldwide is commonly thought to be 107 boys to 100 girls (The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, 2013).

National Family Health Survey (2005-06 and 2015-16) data show an increase in the SRB in north-western states (Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan) and a decline in the SRB in the eastern states (Assam, Oddisa and West Bengal). The Sex Ratio at Birth for the country has gone up by three points to 899 in 2016-18 from 896 in 2015-2017. At National level, it is 900 in rural areas and 897 in urban areas. Chhattisgarh has reported the highest Sex Ratio at Birth (958) while Uttarakhand, the lowest as 840(Sample Registration System Statistical Report, 2018).

The sex ratio and sex ratio at birth in the country had always remained unfavorable to females in the past. It has been highlighted by respective census reports and also studied by several authors’ in different perspectives viz., sex selective abortions and female feticides (Amartya, Sen,1990), sex ratio at birth (Irudaya Rajan. S, et al, 2017), sex differentials in infant and child mortality (Sample Registration System, 1990 and Coale, Ansley. J, 1991), missing women(Stephen Dale, 2010), female children trafficking and sex differential in population enumeration (Census of India, 2011) declining sex ratio in India, causes and consequences (Chandrasekarayya.T and Sai Sujatha. D, 2009)^, Squeezed Sex Ratio in Post Independent India and its Causes (Cenrayudu.N and Chandrasekarayya.T, 2020 ) and Rise in Sex Ratio at Birth in India (Chandrasekarayya.T,2020).

The sex ratio and sex ratio at birth of human population is a major concern in recent decades, because it has been changing (especially the sex composition of the population) over a period of time and determines many socio-economic, cultural and demographic aspects of the future. However, improvement in sex ratio and sex ratio at birth had recorded in the recent period. Hence, these two demographic aspects always received prominence.

The paper is aimed at examining the increase in sex ratio and sex ratio at birth of States/Union Territories (UTs) comes under sex compassion based on secondary collected from NFHS-5(2019-20) and Sample registration system report-2018.

The paper is based on descriptive type and data collected from the Fifth Round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-20 for 22 (containing 17 States/ 5 UTs of India) included in Phase-l of the Survey of besides Sample Registration System (SRS)-Statistical Report, 2018 for India and bigger States/UTs (with population 10 million and above) separately for rural and urban areas.

The National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has played a crucial role in providing the Government of India and the stakeholders with reliable inputs to monitor the progress of various flagship programmes as well as achieve the vision of the National Health Policy. It provides a useful demographic and health database which will facilitate a stock taking of government programmes, and the progress made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. The crucial information will be effectively utilized for right policy decisions.

The Sample Registration System (SRS) in India is carried out by the Office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India with an objective of providing reliable annual estimates of birth rate, death rate, infant mortality rate and various other fertility and mortality indicators. SRS is one of the largest demographic surveys in the world covering about 8.1 million population. It serves as the main source of information on fertility and mortality both at the State and National levels.

The results of NFHS-5 for sex ratio and sex ratio at birth along with S.R.S report, 2018 for mortality rates by age, sex and residence are briefly discussed hereunder.

Table 1 also reveals that, except in Bihar, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu; the sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years (females per 1,000 males) improved from NFHS-4 (2015-16) to NFHS-5(2019-20). Moreover, outer number female children born are recorded in Tripura, Ladakh and Lakshadweep. In rural areas, sex ratio at birth of children is higher than urban except in Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Nagaland, Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir.

Though numbers of female children are lower in the sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years, clearly reveals still existence of sex-selective abortions for male children. However, improvement in the sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years is recorded from NFHS-4 (2015-16) to NFHS-5 (2019-20). ratio of the total population is higher in rural than urban. Thus, NFHS-5 of phase-l revealed that increase in of the sex ratio of the total population from 991 in NFHs-4 to 1020 in NFHS-5.

Table 1

S.No	States/UTs/India	Sex ratio of the total population (females per 1,000 males)				Sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years (females per 1,000 males)
		NFHS-5 (2019-20)			NFHS-4 (2015-16)	NFHS-5 (2019-20)			NFHS-4 (2015-16)
		Rural	Urban	Total	Total	Rural	Urban	Total	Total
1.	Andhra Pradesh	1,055	1,024	1,045	1,021	957	877	934	914
2.	Assam	1,017	982	1,012	993	970	916	964	929
3.	Bihar	1,111	982	1,090	1,062	903	940	908	934
4.	Goa	1,092	985	1,027	1,018	864	822	838	966
5.	Gujarat	991	929	965	950	969	931	955	906
6.	Himachal Pradesh	1,057	936	1,040	1,078	880	843	875	937
7.	Karnataka	1,035	1,034	1,034	979	931	1,063	978	910
8.	Kerala	1,105	1,138	1,121	1,049	922	983	951	1,047
9.	Maharashtra	977	954	966	952	941	878	913	924
10.	Manipur	1,060	1,077	1,066	1,049	947	1,010	967	962
11.	Meghalaya	1,020	1,118	1,039	1,005	1,001	915	989	1,009
12.	Mizoram	988	1,043	1,018	1,012	1,038	907	969	949
13.	Nagaland	1,020	980	1,007	968	943	949	945	953
14.	Sikkim	964	1,033	990	942	746	1,520	969	809
15.	Telangana	1,070	1,015	1,049	1,007	907	873	894	872
16.	Tripura	1,033	956	1,011	998	1,029	1,024	1,028	969
17.	West Bengal	1,065	1,016	1,049	1,011	993	921	973	960
18.	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	929	1,023	963	977	891	941	914	859
19.	Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	875	775	827	813	940	705	817	983
20.	Jammu & Kashmir	944	961	948	971	976	978	976	923
21.	Ladakh	966	994	971	1,000	1,193	897	1,125	823
22.	Lakshadweep	1,166	1,193	1,187	1,022	1,361	964	1,051	905
-	India	1,037	985	1,020	991	931	924	929	919

Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5)-2019-20, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi and International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai.

Table 2 reveals that the estimated death rate for females is higher than males by residence at earlier ages like below one year (Infant mortality rate), Children aged 0-4 years and Under-Five Mortality Rates (U5MR) than working (15-59 years) and older ages Persons aged 60 years and above. It can be due neglect of female children in all aspects. Therefore, higher mortality for females at children ages is the causes for lower child sex ratio of 0-6 years (number of females per 1,000 males) and lower mortality rates in older ages lead to higher in sex ratio of total population in India. In general, higher the female mortality rates (Infant as well as Under-Five mortality rate and crude death rate) lower will be the sex ratio of a nation. Table-3furnishes data on Sex ratio of the total population and mortality rates of some Indian states.

Table 3 reveals that the effect of mortality rates on sex ratio of the total population. It is observed that male death rate exceeds female death rate in all bigger States/UTs except Bihar and Jharkhand. In general, the states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana that recorded lower female death rates (Infant, Under-Five and Crude death rate) had a higher sex ratio of the total population and vice versa among the states with higher female mortality rates.

Table 3 reveals that the effect of mortality rates on sex ratio of the total population.It is observed that male death rate exceeds female death rate in all bigger States/UTs except Bihar and Jharkhand. In general, the states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana that recorded lower female death rates (Infant, Under-Five and Crude death rate) had a higher sex ratio of the total

Rise in the sex ratio of the total population (females per 1,000 males’) and sex ratio at birth from NFHS-4 (2015-16) to NFHS-5 (2019-20) in 16 states and 4 UTs had recorded. Except in Bihar, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, the sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years (females per 1,000 males) improved from NFHS-4 (2015-16) to NFHS-5 (2019-20). In general, sex ratio of the total population and sex ratio at birth is higher in rural areas than urban. Lower mortality rates for females (especially in older ages) are the one of cause for improved sex ratio in India in the recent period. Increase in literacy rates especially among female could be the reason for decrease in sex bias of children among the parents thereby rise in sex ratio at birth in periods. Moreover, in additions to existing women welfare schemes and anti-abortions, women empowerment initiatives in education and employment are to be implemented in the states/UTs that had a lower sex ratio of total population. Moreover, behaviour modification approach is to be adopted for avoiding sex preference children, thereby to improve further in sex ratio at birth, especially states/UTs that registered lower sex ratio at birth. Moreover, at societal level, males should change their mindset against discrimination of females and provide equal chance for females every aspect of life to overcome deficit of female population especially girls in India. Indian patriarchal society that contain the traditional values and perceptions on status and roles of females especially girl child causes to discrimination. These can be narrowed by religious as well public meetings through explaining severe consequences of imbalance sex ratio and need to enhance their socio-economic and cultural status. Moreover, gender issues must be given due consideration so as to make effective policy frameworks, which might reduce gap in sex ratio and sex ratio at birth thereby much better sex composition of human population. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14