BS EDIT: One for the Girls

By Business StandardPublished On Sep 30, 2025

A Disturbing Decline

Delhi’s sex ratio has dropped for the fourth year in a row—from 933 girls per 1,000 boys in 2020 to just 920 in 2024—despite high income and literacy levels

Fewer Births, Sharper Bias

With Delhi’s fertility rate now the lowest in India at 1.2, the pressure to have a boy often shapes reproductive choices, deepening gender imbalance

Bypassing the Ban

From IVF abroad to loopholes in testing, sex determination is finding a way back. Enforcement of the 1994 ban on prenatal sex tests appears to be weakening

Government Steps In

In response, Delhi has restricted prenatal tests to registered labs within the state and mandated monthly reporting from clinics and genetic centres

Laws Alone Aren’t Enough

Legal crackdowns help, but deeper change requires confronting social bias. Choosing sons over daughters is not just immoral—it weakens society’s future

Shift the Narrative

From corporate boardrooms to Olympic podiums, Indian women are breaking barriers. Delhi must lead with a campaign that shows girls as equally valuable and capable