January 19, 2012
The Question
Was the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PNDT) Act (Prohibition of Sex Selection) effective in improving the female-to-male child sex ratio?
What we found
While the overall child sex ratio in India continued to decrease after the PNDT Act came into effect, the analysis suggests that the PNDT had a significant positive effect since the child sex ratio would have plummeted even further without it.
Why it matters
Because of the favoring of sons over daughters common in Indian culture, sex-selective abortions were once very commonly practiced, causing India’s child sex ratio to be one of the lowest in the world. The PNDT Act is one effort to lessen the gender divide in India.
