Even though the literacy rate in Delhi rose by 10 percent in the last ten years, the child sex ratio here has fallen, said Varsha Joshi, director, census operations, Delhi.

“The areas of concern in Delhi are the north west and the south west regions which have a huge rural belt. The child sex ratio is also the lowest in these two regions at 863 and 836 respectively,” said Joshi.

Child sex ratio is the number of females born per 1,000 males. The provisional report by the census of India 2011 shows that the child sex ratio in Delhi has stooped two rungs lower in 2011 at 866 from 868 in 2001. All India figure for 2011 is 914 females per 1,000 males which was 927 in 2001. 

Joshi added that the total fertility rate in Delhi has fallen. That means the number of children born in the last decade is less but the child sex ratio has remained the same.

The civil society representatives said that though the disappointing number was expected, the disturbing thing is that the child sex ratio is not improving.

Even though a comprehensive Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act is available, it is the lack of implementation of this act which is not making any difference on ground, said Asha, a lawyer and activist from Madhya Pradesh.

“Mobile-size devices are now used to test for sex determination. Unqualified people are operating ultrasound machines and are conducting the tests even in remote areas,” said Dr Neelam Singh, a gynecologist from Lucknow who is also a member of central supervisory board chaired by health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, constituted under section 7 of the PCPNDT Act.

Under the act only 61 cases have been filed since 2001. Of these cases, 40 complaints were for non-registration of clinics, five were for alleged sex determination, nine were for advertising the availability of sex determination tests, five for improper maintenance of records by ultrasound clinics and two were filed by a private complainant. Six cases were later withdrawn and 12 cases were either dismissed, disposed off or the accused was acquitted.

Presently, 43 cases are under trial. There have been no convictions yet.

“Sexing in our society is absolutely acceptable. The transition will not happen overnight. We must restrain medical crimes,” said Dr Sabu George, activist.

There are 1,773 registered ultrasound clinics in Delhi.