The national capital continues to languish among the worst in terms of sex ratio in the country with 896 females to 1,000 males as per the Delhi Government’s annual birth and death registration report 2014, a negligible improvement from last year’s 895. Both 2011 census, which says the capital has 866 females per 1,000 males, and countrywide data of Civil Registration System, places Delhi among the worst performing States and Union Territories in terms of sex ratio. Similarly, the number of reported registered deaths has gone up from 0.97 lakh in 2013 to 1.21 lakh in 2014. Out of total number of registered deaths during 2014, about 62.17 per cent were male and 37.83 per cent were female. About 61.50 per cent (74,592) were institutional deaths while 38.50 per cent (46,694) were domiciliary deaths. The average number of deaths per day works out to be 332 during the year 2014. The death rate per thousand population works out to 6.77 during the year 2014. The Infant Mortality Rate per thousand live births has reduced from 22.37 in 2013 to 21.66 in 2014.
Although Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia pointed out that the number of female births has “increased” and is “improving every year”, his claim falls flat in the face of the report which shows a steady fall in sex ratio since 2009. The sex ratio figures for the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, are 915, 901, 893, 886. In 2013, the figure had slightly improved to 895. In fact, the situation did not change much through the first decade of the millennium as well. In 2008, the figure had risen astronomically to a high of 1,004, on the back of probable high rate of girl child birth registration, including that of old births, owing to Government’s ladli scheme, which assured a monetary grant for every such registration.
The sex ratio average for the whole country according to the 2011 census was 940:1000, significantly higher than that of Delhi. The report is prepared on the basis of data collected monthly from 50 major hospitals which accounts for around 51 per cent of total registered births. Officials say this helps to review the sex ratio at the highest level in the shortest possible time without waiting for yearly indicators.
The report say that average number of births per day in Delhi worked out to 1,024 in 2014 as against 1,014 in 2013. Of the total births registered 1,97,078 (52.74 per cent) were male and 1,76,615 (47.26 per cent) female. Out of the total births 3.10 lakh (82.83 per cent) were institutional and 0.64 lakh (17.17 per cent) were domiciliary in nature. Out of 3,09,538 institutional births, 2,05,527 (66.40 per cent) births occurred in Government hospitals. Out of the total institutional births, 1,45,214 (46.91 per cent) were females. Out of 64,155 non-institutional births, 31,401 (48.95 per cent) were females. According to report, MCD accounted for 3.27 lakh (87.47 per cent) of total births where as 0.43 lakh (11.55 per cent) occurred in NDMC areas and 0.037 lakh (0.98 per cent) in Delhi Cantonment Board. Further, the analysis as per five local bodies (i.e. considering the trifurcation of MCD) shows that the maximum number of (34.82 per cent) births was in North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Out of total births, 6.49 per cent births were rural and 93.51 per cent were urban. Out of the total births, 55.47 per cent were of first order, 33.75 per cent of second order, 8.67 per cent of third order and 2.11 per cent were of fourth or higher order.
According to report, the number of reported registered deaths has gone up from 0.97 lakh in 2013 to1.21 lakh in 2014. Total 1,21,286 deaths were registered during 2014 as compared to 97,185 deaths registered during 2013. Out of total number of registered deaths during 2014, about 62.17 per cent (75,404) were male and 37.83 per cent (45,882) were female. MCD accounted for 80.31 per cent of total registered deaths while the share of New Delhi Municipal Council was 18.24 per cent and DCB registered only 1.45 per cent of the total deaths. Further, the analysis as per five local bodies (i.e. considering the trifurcation of MCD) shows that maximum (37.33 per cent) deaths were in North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Out of total 1,21,286 deaths registered during the year 2014 the infant deaths were 8,097.
According to report, the average number of deaths per day works out to be 332 during the year 2014. The death rate per thousand population works out to 6.77 during the year 2014.