India’s Child Sex ratio At Its Lowest Ever Of 914 Girls For Every 1,000 Boys

LUCKNOW – The maternalmortality rate across India asper Sample Registration System( SRS) 2011 stands at a high of212 per 1 lakh live births. Thechild sex ratio according toCensus 2011 is at its lowestever with only 914 girls forevery 1,000 boys. 47 out ofevery 1,000 live births do notcomplete their first year of life(SRS 2011), 22% of babies areborn with low birth weight (asper National Family and healthSurvey-III).As high as 79% of childrenbelow 35 months of age areanemic and only 54% childrenreceive full immunisation.Different national surveysshow that 11.8% children areengaged in some form of childlabour while over 25% increasein child murders noted since2000 (NCRB, 2011). In education,41.7% children are notenrolled at upper primary elementaryschool level. The dropout at elementary level is 40%.The startling facts wererevealed by the Child Rightsand You (CRY) in a reporttitled, ‘Status and Trends inChild Rights’ in India. Thereport adds, about 35% childrenwith disabilities remainout of elementary school. Theschool dropout rate amongstadolescent girls stands at63.5%. Nearly 45% girls acrossthe country get married beforethe age of 18 years.Working for the uplift of children,CRY on Wednesday alsolaunched a nationwide ‘Vote forChild Rights’ election advocacycampaign. “The campaign is toensure that political parties andpeople in power take childrenas their first priority. It is imperativethat the best interest ofthe child be put at the centre ofall policy, legislation and practice,”said Puja Marwaha, CEOCRY.On the occasion, CRYalso released a manifesto thatcalls for all political parties toprotect children and commit tochanging the situation of childrenin our country.