Socio-demographic factors and son preference in India: An overview

India is a country where women are worshiped as a deity.  At the same time birth of the girl child is not welcomed by the family. Previously she was killed after her birth and several methods of such act were noted down by researchers in their studies.  After advancement of medical technology new methods are adopted for female feticide and it is being done as son preference. This is not only leading towards the end of women in particular but it throws light on the violation of child right as a survival. As per the UN Population Fund in India up to 50 million girls are thought to be “missing” over the past century due to female infanticide and feticide.

             The phenomena of female feticide may be a personal domain, but when it directly affects on the sex ratio of society, it has become a social domain and the great concern to the sociologists. The religious impact, son preference, family pressures contributes for female feticide. In addition, the medical practitioners, health polices are associated with this problem.

   The present article is focused on the analysis of the socio-demographic factors responsible for son preference in India as well as its consequences. It is based on the secondary published and unpublished data.