Ramachandra Bairy, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, said on Friday that the unequal child sex ratio in the district was a concern. He was speaking at the World Population Day function organised by the district administration at the Milagres College at Kallianpur.
As per the 2011 census, the ratio in the district was 955 girls per 1,000 boys. It had come down compared to the 2001 census which had 958 girls per 1,000 boys.
Mamata R. Shetty, zilla panchayat vice-president, said that people in rural areas still considered a girl child as a burden. But boys were pampered because they were seen as future earning members.
In poor families, girls had it even worse, she added. Mothers went to work in the fields and they wanted their daughters to cook in the kitchens. “The key to change this mindset is to encourage female literacy and education in rural areas,” she said.
Dr. Bairy also said that projected rise in the population will put an enormous strain on the resources. India is projected to a have population of 1.53 billion in 2015 overtaking China as the most populated country. Every year, 16 million people are being added. This will strain the resources. The dependency ratio, number of people over the age of 65 years, was also increasing in the country, Dr. Bairy said.
