Sex ratio patterns among the scheduled castes in India 1981-2001

Suddhasil Siddhanta, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Satish Balaram Agnihotri, University of Kalyani

Sex ratio patterns in the Indian population show considerable variations by regions, religions, prosperity classes, social groups e.g. scheduled castes and tribes, location and even by age groups. While some have received adequate attention in the literature the sex ratio patterns among the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes have not. Traditionally, the sex ratio patterns among the scheduled castes have been presumed to be more balanced than among the overall population, but the facts even from the 1991 census reveal otherwise. Employing geo-statistical technique (Kriging), the paper tries to contour the sex ratio pattern and its spatial propagation with time. The diffusion of gender norm is supposed to be substantial, calls for urgent intervention to stop gender based elimination even among those population who are at the bottom of the caste hierarchy.