UPSC Mains 2014 GS Paper 1 Q12: model answer
Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women? Give your arguments.
What the question wants
Explain why some prosperous regions of India have adverse sex ratios.
How to structure it
Why... Give your arguments: reasons with evidence.
- The paradox
- Reasons
- Evidence
- Remedies
How to think it through
Common sense says richer means fairer. Haryana and Punjab say otherwise. The reasons: son preference, dowry, land inheritance and, above all, access to technology (ultrasound) that allows sex selection. Prosperity gives the means; patriarchy gives the motive.
Model answer
Prosperous states such as Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra had among the lowest child sex ratios in Census 2011 (Haryana about 834 girls per 1,000 boys aged 0–6).
Reasons
- Son preference: sons inherit land and business, carry the family name and support parents in old age.
- Dowry: daughters are seen as an economic burden.
- Technology: wealth gives access to ultrasound and sex-selective abortion, despite the PCPNDT Act, 1994.
- Small family norms with a desire for at least one son intensify selection.
- Patriarchal, landowning cultures in agrarian regions.
Contrast
- Poorer states such as Kerala, Chhattisgarh and tribal regions show more balanced ratios because of different kinship norms and less access to sex selection.
Remedies
- Enforce the PCPNDT Act; Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015); incentives for girls (Sukanya Samriddhi); equal inheritance (Hindu Succession Amendment, 2005).
- The 2011 Census child sex ratio of 918 was the lowest since independence.
Final word
The paradox shows that economic growth without social change can worsen gender bias. Changing attitudes is as important as law.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
Census 2011 CSR (Haryana 834), PCPNDT Act 1994, BBBP 2015, Hindu Succession Amendment 2005.
Where most answers lose marks
- Saying poverty causes adverse sex ratios. The question is about prosperous regions.
Related Mains PYQs
- Critically examine the challenges of demographic transition in contemporary India. UPSC 2026 · GS-I
- Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to land, soil and water resources. UPSC 2025 · GS-I
- Why do large cities tend to attract more migrants than smaller towns? Discuss in the light of conditions in developing countries. UPSC 2024 · GS-I
- What is the concept of a ‘demographic winter’? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate. UPSC 2024 · GS-I
Fresh examples from current affairs
Census 2027: houselisting done in 31 States/UTs; snow-bound enumeration in September
The first phase of Census 2027, Houselisting and Housing Census, is complete in 31 States and UTs, MHA told Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026. Population Enumeration in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand runs from 1 to 30 September 2026, with online self-enumeration from 17 to 31 August.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Census phases.
12 Aug 2026
Census 2027 houselisting: 23 States/UTs complete phase I
Phase-I Houselisting and Housing Census under Census 2027 is complete in 23 States and UTs, MHA said on 16 June 2026. Himachal Pradesh began house-to-house visits (till 15 July). Kerala and Nagaland opened self-enumeration till 30 June. Field work is on in Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Puducherry and Uttar Pradesh.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Census phases, self-enumeration.
16 Jun 2026
High-Level Committee on Demographic Change constituted
The Centre formed a High-Level Committee to study demographic changes from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons and to suggest measures. Announced on 15 August 2025 and Cabinet-approved on 11 September 2025, it is chaired by Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar (Retd). It must report within one year, extendable by up to six months.
UPSC angle: Mains: illegal migration and border management.
26 May 2026
Census 2027 houselisting begins in five States/UTs; 1.44 crore self-enumerate
Field operations for the Houselisting and Housing Census under Phase I of Census 2027 began in Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and the MCD area of Delhi. Self-Enumeration opened in Gujarat, J&K, Ladakh and Puducherry till 31 May 2026. More than 1.44 crore households across 25 States/UTs have completed Self-Enumeration on se.census.gov.in. Uttar Pradesh Self-Enumeration continues till 21 May 2026.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Census 2027 innovations.
17 May 2026Question text as printed in the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) question paper. The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.
Want every PYQ in one place? See the Battle IAS PYQ Book.