2014 · GS Paper 1 · Q12 · 10 marks
Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women ? Give your arguments.
In short
Prosperous regions show adverse sex ratios because wealth strengthens patrilineal son preference, buys sex-determination technology, and combines with small-family norms, dowry inflation and male in-migration. Census 2011 recorded a child sex ratio of 834 in Haryana against 964 in Kerala.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 296 words
Son preference survives wealth
In patrilineal agrarian households of Punjab and Haryana, sons inherit land and carry the lineage, so wealth raises the value of a male heir.
Technology and purchasing power
Affluent families in well-connected districts can pay for ultrasound sex determination despite the weakly enforced PCPNDT Act 1994.
The fertility squeeze
Couples wanting one or two children cannot "wait for a son"; Monica Das Gupta showed that small families intensify sex selection.
Dowry inflation
Wealth raises dowry costs, so daughters are seen as a costly transfer.
Kinship, not income
Dyson and Moore (1983) traced the north-south gap to northern exogamy, which cuts a married daughter off from her parents.
Male in-migration
Booming cities such as Delhi draw single male migrants, pulling its ratio down to 868 (Census 2011).
Neglect after birth
Girls who survive can still receive less nutrition and late medical care, adding to the "missing women" Amartya Sen counted at over 100 million in 1990.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2014 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.