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Amniocentesis tests were introduced in India in 1974 to detect any genetic abnormalities. They were used to detect gender for the first time in 1979 in Amritsar , Punjab, and then became a tool for sex determination and for female foeticide. The practice of this test was stopped by the Indian Council of Medical Research but it was too late, people started using it as an instrument for selecting foetus.
The two-child policy has got mixed up with female foeticide. The preference for at least one of two children to be a boy, often leads to the second girl born to a family being treated far worse than her older sister. Over the years it has become quite clear that if people are forced to limit the size of their families, they prefer to do so at the cost of the girl baby, even if it means that they have to "import" brides from outside their states or communities.
Unlike many other social evils attributed to poverty, the killing of female foetuses through sex selective abortion cannot be attributed to poverty and ignorance. Indeed, it is the economically affluent states of Punjab, Haryana, districts of Gujarat, and Delhi that have the distinction of having more people who can pay for expensive tests to choose male children over females. Clearly it is those who can “ afford to chose”, who use the technology to do so.
The inefficient legislative implementation further adds to the vulnerability of the girl child in India Non- registration of medical facilities, the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques, communication of the sex of the foetus, determination of sex, advertisement of sex determination, and non-maintenance of records explain also the large number of abortions.
Early marriage and early pregnancies are resulting in physical wastage, birth complications and low birth-weight babies having poor survival rate. The complications during child birth further result in maternal deaths.
Education
Either girls are not sent to school or at an early age their education is discontinued. It is estimated, for every 10 girls who enter class I, only 6 reach class V or nearly 1/3 of girls who manage to enter class I dropout before entering class II.
Health care
Sex-bias in health care prevails in the country, which accounts for higher female mortality and poor girl child survival. Studies indicate that girls do not receive timely and adequate health care. When they are treated, it is generally by a traditional healer or taken to a hospital at a later stage of illness, when chances of survival are reduced.
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