India keen to improve child sex ratio

The Indian government will develop a national plan to improve sex ratio in the country, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Sex ratio in India is 914 girls for 1,000 boys based on the 2011's census.

"This is a serious problem leading to more forced marriages, trafficking, violence against women and an imbalance in the country's population," the Indian Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) said.

During the National Girl Child Day held here, Minister Krishna Tirath said that declining child sex ratio in the country is a cause of urgency and concern.

"Child sex ratio is a powerful indicator of the social response and attitude towards the female child," she said.

The minister had recently held consultations with various ministries, including Health and Family Welfare, Human Resources Development, Planning Commission, Social Justice and Empowerment as well as members of civil society organisations and medical sector to formulate an action plan.

Representatives from the United Nations Population Fund, Children's Fund and Development Programme also took part in the consultations.

Official data show the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have consistently shown low population of women.