Shimla, April 1 (IANS) While the overall child sex ratio has declined in India, Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district has set an example with 1,013 females per 1,000 males in the 0-6 age group – the highest in the country at the district level.
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is the district with the second highest child sex ratio at 1,005, according to provisional data for Census 2011 released by Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli in New Delhi Thursday.
Interestingly, at the district level the first two slots in the child sex ratio in the country, Lahaul and Spiti and Twang, are both Buddhist-dominated. Himachal Pradesh figures among the states that have seen an increasing trend in the child sex ratio.
However, the country’s child sex ratio has declined from 927 females per 1,000 males in 2001 to 914 females per 1,000 males.
Jhajjar and Mahendragarh, both in Haryana, have recorded a low of 774 and 778 respectively.
Lahaul and Spiti is a thinly populated district. As per the state election department, it has around 22,000 voters. The climatic conditions of the area are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter.
The locals are known for producing the most disease-free, pest-resistant seed potato varieties that sell like hot cakes across the country. They also cultivate peas, cauliflower and hops.
