With decline in sex ratio unabated, Supreme Court judge BV Nagarathna on Saturday expressed concern about the deteriorating sex ratios due to potential female infanticide and foeticide in certain states, stating that girls should not merely survive but thrive.
She was speaking at the national annual stakeholders consultation on "Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India," organised by the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court in collaboration with UNICEF India.
Justice Nagarathna was speaking in the presence of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Annapurna Devi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development. Justice JB Pardiwala, member of the JJC and other apex court judges were also present on the occasion.
She asserted that a young girl in India can only be considered a truly equal citizen when she can freely aspire to achieve anything her male counterpart can and receive the same quality of support and resources without facing gender-specific barriers. She should not merely survive but actively thrive," she said.Highlighting the challenges, she noted that the first barrier a girl child in India faces is the very act of being born. It is an unfortunate reality that many families may feel disappointment or even dismay upon hearing that a child is a girl, rather than a boy.
"The child sex ratio (0-6 years) in India has only seen marginal improvement, going from 914 girls per 1000 boys in the 2011 census to 929 girls per 1000 boys in the National Family Health Survey-5. There are also recent concerning reports of worsening sex ratios caused by likely female infanticide/foeticide in certain states," she said, adding that, however, many other states have seen improvements in their sex ratios.
As the chairman of the Juvenile Justice Committee (JJC) of the Supreme Court, Justice Nagarathna emphasised the importance of nutritional care, stating that without proper nourishment, all efforts to uplift the girl child may be futile.Addressing child marriage, she acknowledged the positive trend noted in successive National Family Health Surveys, which show a steady decline in child marriage prevalence. Over the past fifteen years, combined policy efforts and community engagement have halved the rate of child marriage in India.Justice Nagarthana said it is very promising to note that, as per the data contained in the NFHS, school attendance for young girls between the ages of 15-17 has improved significantly.
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