NEW DELHI, INDIA, Dec 4, 2002: Brides are becoming scarce in India because of a growing imbalance in the number of males and females being born here. The situation is so bad that some parents are not only dropping demands for wedding dowries, but are also offering a “bride price” when asking for a woman’s hand in marriage for their sons. Nationwide, the number of girls under six declined from 945 for every 1,000 boys in 1991 to 927 last year. The problem is also growing in the capital, evidence that the theory which holds that a better educated and affluent population will cast away prejudices is incorrect. The main reason for the lopsided sex ratio ironically is modern technology. Indian cities are rife with illegal sex-determination clinics. In cities like New Delhi and states like Haryana, parents with better education and higher incomes pay for tests to determine the sex of their unborn child which, if a girl, would be aborted. India today tops the world in illegal abortions and female infanticide. The prevalence of sex-determination tests reflects a tradition that prefers boys.
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