The Hindu

• V S Acharya for public debate on two-child norm in Udupi
• There are 916 girls for 1,000 boys in the age group of 1-6
• Udupi tops the State in having more women per 1,000 men

Udupi, Nov 9: The one-child norm is responsible for the drop in the number girls in Udupi district, said Medical Education Minister V S Acharya. He was speaking at the inauguration of a workshop on Human Resources Development Report organised by the District Planning Committee here on Tuesday.

Dr Acharya said the two-child norm should be adopted in the district to restore the balance in the sex ratio.

Admitting that he was making a controversial statement, Dr. Acharya said, the matter was open for public discussion.

He said it was not the craze for having sons but the implementation of the one-child norm that had led to a slight drop in the number of girls in the age group of 1-6 in the district.

There are 916 girls for every 1,000 boys in the age group of 1-6 in the district. However, the sex ratio in the district still favours women. Udupi tops the State in having more women per 1,000 men. In 2001, there were 1,113 women for 1,000 men.

However, a dip in the ratio is seen when it is compared to that of 1991, when there were 1,134 women for 1,000 men.

The policy of reservations has benefited the weaker sections, which had been able to withstand the competition unleashed due to policies of globalisation and liberalisation, Dr. Acharya said. The fact that 58.2 per cent of people in Udupi were employed in the tertiary sector was a healthy indicator of the standard of living.

It was necessary for people to give up prejudices and have a positive view of developmental activities, he added.

Udupi Zilla Panchayat president B N Shankar Poojary, Vice-president Sharada Bijur and Chief Executive Officer P. Hemalatha were present.