2014/10/24 by Arindam Nandi · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Medicine · #Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences #Global Maternal and Child Health #Migration and Labor Dynamics
paper · doi:10.1080/13600818.2014.973390
openalex publication_date 2014/10/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
India has long struggled with persistent problems of sex-selective abortions and the neglect of female children. In 1996, the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act was implemented to stop the practices of prenatal sex determination and selective abortions. This paper examines whether the law has been effective in reducing gender imbalance, and in turn potentially exacerbated post-natal discrimination against newborn girls. Using retrospective birth history data from the Indian District Level Household Survey (2002–2004), we exploit a natural experiment involving a variation in the timing of the law across states. We analyse the differential impact of the law on newborn sex ratios and infant mortality rates. Our findings indicate that the law significantly increased the likelihood of a female birth, improving female-to-male sex ratios at birth. We also find that it was generally associated with no change in the relative mortality of infant girls.