One indicator of human development in any area is sex ratio, which is the ratio of the number of females to 1,000 males.
According to the Human Development Index report released recently by the Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics Department and the zilla panchayat, there has been an increase in the sex ratio in the district over the census years from 951 in 1991 to 955 in 2001 and 969 in 2011.
In 1991 the sex ratios in the three taluks, Hiriyur (960), Holalkere (965) and Hosadurga (975), have been higher than the district average of 951. The magnitude of change in the sex ratio for the census years between 1991 and 2001 is 4 and it is 14 for the years between 2001 and 2011.
Chitradurga taluk has shown the highest positive change in the sex ratio, 15 for years between 1991 and 2001 and 29 for the years between 2001 and 2011.
It could be attributed to both natural growth of changes and the male dominant migration to capital city, making possible higher changes in the sex ratio. The change is of the magnitude of nine for Challakere taluk for the years between 1991 and 2001. However, the sex ratio have shown negative changes in 1991 to 2001 in Hiriyur (-3) and Hosadurga and Holalkere (-5 each).
In the years between 2001 and 2011 the sex ratios have shown positive changes, Holalkere taluk equalling the change in the district for the period and the rest except Hosadurga (3) and Challakere (13) taluks showing positive changes than that of the district, Molkalmuru taluk (17), Hiriyur taluk (27) and Chitradurga taluk (29).
Children
The sex ratios among the children of 0-6 years for the census years 1991, 2001 and 2011 in all the taluks except that of Hosadurga taluk have shown gradual increase.
The district has shown 969, 998 and 1007 as the sex ration respectively for the above mentioned census years.
The trend observed in Challakere taluk is 968, 999 and 1001, Hiriyur 965, 1001 and 1008 and Molakalmuru taluk 926, 1002 and 1026 for the three census years.
The tremendous change in the sex ratio of the children 0-6 years can be attributed to increasing preference to girl child over the recent years. This is result of awareness programmes conducted by authorities concerned.
