Published Paper Details:

Gender disparity and inequality is detrimental in achieving the goals of human development. For inclusive development of a society, people should have equal access to all the choices they can make and should also have equality related to various opportunities. Sex Ratio is one of the tools to determine gender equality of the population. It is defined by the number of females per 1000 males in the population. Historically, sex ratio in India has remained favourable to males. In 2011 census, sex ratio in India increased to 940 from 934 as recorded in the 2001 census. Increase has also been noted in twenty nine states and Union territories of India. Only three major states i.e. Gujarat, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir have shown a decline in the sex ratio in 2011 census. A change in child sex ratio (0-6 years) index reflects underlying socio-economic and cultural patterns of the society, especially its attitude towards the girl child. Though the sex ratio has increased in India but the child sex ratio, according to 2011 census, has declined in both rural and urban areas. Of all the Indian states the decline in child sex ratio is highest in Jammu and Kashmir. It has declined to 862 in 2011 from 941 as in 2001 census. The present paper tries to analyse the levels and trends of sex ratio and child sex ratio in Jammu and Kashmir. While doing the comparative study of various districts of Jammu and Kashmir in order to examine the pattern of declining child sex ratio, attempt has been made to trace out the factors which are responsible for variations in regional patterns in sex bias against female child.