Kamal Ghorui
In many parts, that moment still carries an unspoken question: Is it a boy?Behind this question lies the weight of cultural expectations, financial anxieties and patriarchal norms that continue to place sons above daughters.A study by academics from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, estimates that 6.8 million fewer female births could be recorded across India by 2030 due to the continued use of sex-selective abortions.But before diving deeper into research, it is important to understand what is “missing”.
In 2025, Haryana reports 1,153 late abortions in 3 months
A social fixationBehind the data lies a mindset that often treats the birth of a daughter as a “burden” and a son as an “investment”.This skewed preference has led to sex-selective abortions and illegal prenatal testing networks.A mix of cultural pressure, patriarchal norms and economic anxieties continues to push families towards sex selection—even when it is legally banned under the PCPNDT Act.A long list of cases but here are just a couple of examples:In a Telangana triple murder case, a 26-year-old pregnant woman and her two daughters were found dead in a swimming pool at a private layout.
The husband claimed accidental drowning. However, police and family alleged a different motive: pressure over a third pregnancy and suspicion that the unborn child was female, along with earlier abortions allegedly forced after gender suspicion.In another case, a woman accused her husband and in-laws of illegal prenatal sex determination, female foeticide, repeated forced abortions, and sexual as well as physical abuse, following a complaint filed in Kanpur.According to the complaint, the woman got married in 2021, after which her husband—then working in Dubai—allegedly returned to India and began pressuring her to bring money from her parental home to start a business and buy a car.She claimed that when she refused, she was repeatedly assaulted, sustaining serious spinal injuries.These are just examples, and there are many more such cases. But what drives this pattern?The ‘son preference’Over the years, several studies and police cases have pointed to one core factor: sons are seen as carriers of lineage, performers of last rites, and providers of financial security in old age.This belief system leads to discrimination even before birth.
Once a pregnancy is confirmed, the pressure to ensure a male child begins early, often with demands for illegal sex determination tests despite their prohibition.According to public health observations, sex-selective abortions have continued for decades despite the ban, with millions of female foetuses reportedly aborted.In several cases, the pressure is not only from husbands but also from in-laws and extended family members, creating an environment where women are forced to undergo illegal procedures.Studies on patriarchy also state that sons are culturally linked with inheritance, lineage continuation and religious rituals, while daughters are often considered “transient members” of their natal families after marriage. This reinforces long-term structural bias.Research also highlights that even in urban and economically advanced households, modernisation has not fully dismantled gender bias, with sex-selective practices persisting despite higher incomes and education levels—indicating that the issue is deeply rooted in social norms.‘I want a boy’Behind many cases of foeticide is intense psychological and social pressure on pregnant women.Dr Aruna Kalra, a gynaecologist who has conducted over 50,000 deliveries, told TOI that women are often compelled to undergo repeated scans or abortions until a male child is conceived.
She also described how patients openly express desperation for a son, sometimes even after having multiple daughters.The rats of the racketIn states such as Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, enforcement agencies have repeatedly uncovered a pattern of illegal sex determination and sex-selective abortion networks operating through loosely connected agents, clinics and intermediaries.
The system often works in layers—from identifying pregnant women to illegal testing and termination:In several cases reported from Haryana and UP, agents target households where pressure for a male child is high, offering “solutions” for sex determination despite legal prohibition.Once contact is established, pregnant women are directed to unregistered or complicit diagnostic centres.Once a female foetus is identified, women are allegedly pushed towards termination of pregnancy, either through local clinics or interstate referral networks.In Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP, reports have shown that abortions are often carried out through:
- private clinics
- informal medical practitioners
- travelling or disguised medical setups
Payments are frequently routed through intermediaries, making direct tracing difficult.Are things improving? Yes and noThere are signs of progress.Data shows that the sex ratio at birth is slowly improving in states like Haryana and Punjab. This has been attributed to stricter enforcement of the PCPNDT Act, increased inspections of ultrasound centres, and ongoing awareness campaigns.
In several districts, these efforts have begun to reflect in better numbers and greater scrutiny of illegal practices.But the improvement is uneven—and fragile.
The data still falls short of the natural sex ratio and cases of coercion, illegal sex determination and repeated abortions continue to surface.What emerges is a pattern: enforcement can curb supply, but demand—driven by son preference—remains.
