A Correlational Study Between Sex Ratio and Literacy Rate Matrix in India: A Case Study of Jammu and Kashmir State

Changing Demographic statistics huge have both instantaneous and distant policy ramifications for all the world's nations, especially India, which will emerge as the world’s populist country shortly. The country on one hand is expected to enjoy the benefit of the young population, while on the other side, it is likely to suffer on account of adverse sex ratio. The situation is almost identical in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The panorama demands a careful investigation into gender statistics. Accordingly, the study based on secondary data attempts to examine the influence of literacy and illiteracy on selective sex births in rural and urban areas. The study on the basis of parametric analysis finds that literacy significantly contributes to particular sex births both in urban and rural areas and illiteracy largely favours unselective sex births. Moreover, the study observes that the literate population overwhelmingly adopts selective sex births syndrome. This seems a major reason for the aggravated sex ratio in Jammu and Kashmir.  Moreover, the study based on some advanced studies in medical science emphasises that eliminating feticide on the basis of advanced medical aid is yet not a full proof procedure to know exactly the type sex of new birth in advance. Therefore, the paper attempts to refute the belief that the sex of a  foetus not be determined precisely. The reality of the fact is that the sex of a foetus can not be determined exactly before the actual birth. Thus the study concludes that gender statistics imbroglio is a very crucial issue and it myths and realities should be exposed in the light of advanced medical science along with eliminating emerging expensive socio-economic evils of the society.

Rightly, India is the second most populated country in the world after China. The population of India is projected to surpass China by 2024 and it is expected that it would become the habitat of more than 1.5 billion people by 2030 despite the fact, that India records recede in population growth from 2.3 percent to 1.3 percent in the decadal population growth data between 1972 to 1983. At present, India has more than 50 percent of its population below the age of 25 years and 65 percent below the age group of 35 years, the average age of an Indian is 28 .4 years compared to 37 for China and 48 years for Japan. The population data of India hints mix of favourable, somewhat uneven and disturbing changes. The gender data is one of them. Factually, Gender statistics has a crucial significance for social scientists, demographic experts, anthropologists, policy makers etc. it is a comprehensive domain that incorporate all the areas demographic data, involving male and female composition. Sex ratio is one such aspect that relates to the gender statistics. It is one of the most important social parameter of the society that indicates the balance between males and females in the society says Christophe (2007). Sex ratio means the number of females against 1000 males. it typically refers to the number of females' available to one thousand males. sex ratio is a proposition that is used to indicate the proportion between men and women (Suresh,1990 ). It varies for one area to other area and from one age group to another group depending upon the age specific mortality rates and sex specific migration rates. In India, the sex ratio have remained quiet low in all the age especially in pre independence period. Suresh (1990) reports that life expectancy started to increase regularly in India after 1920, it appears that men reaped more benefits from this progress than did women. On the whole, health facilities, improved nutrition and better protection against epidemics or death were geared more towards enhancing survival conditions for boys and men, which was considered a prime objective for many households and communities. Thomson Reutex Trust Law Women in its recent Survey says that India ranks fourth as the most dangerous place for women due to increasing number of female infanticides , foeticides and human trafficking. The other three countries include Afghanistan, Congo and Pakistan. The prospect of further worsening of India's sex composition requires close monitoring of current sex-ratio trends in the country. In India especially in the state of jammu and Kashmir, the phenomenon of gender statistics is much difficult to understand due to heterogeneous composition of population in terms of culture, religion, socio economic factors and government regulations etc. Christophe (2007) views that the Indian scenario of female discrimination is extremely complex in view of India's social and economic diversity. The interplay of cultural and economic factors, along with the impact of policy initiative has produced a heterogeneous situation, in turn, this complexity offers ways to better understand the mechanisms at work, and to inform the policy debate on the struggle against gender discrimination. In this context, the existing literature on gender statistics has unfolded that advanced medical science is a basic culprit for deterioting sex ratio in India.
Therefore, in view of the gravity of the situation, this paper is a modest attempt to unfold the myths and realities that are responsible for the poor sex ratio in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Literature Review
The credit of discovering the problem of gender inequality primarily goes to Amartya Sen (1990) in late 1990's. Thereafter, it was aggressively highlighted by the research of reports of world bodies including UNO. However, in the Indian context, the research on demographic issues is going on prior 1871 ( Dyson and Moore 1983) . Factually, today adverse sex ratio is often seen as a great socio-economic issue in the world over (Ruchi,2018). In fact, balanced sex ratio and high literacy rate are the two vital indicators of socio-economic and cultural advancement. Sex ratio indicates the number of females available against 1000 males in a particular region. It unfolds gender based population equality in a country hints Majumdar (2013). While Chandna (2015) says that literacy is one of the important aspect of demography and is more often considered as a fairly reliable index of socio-cultural and economic advancement. Literacy and sex ratio usually share relation between themselves and it is overwhelmingly expected that high literacy would significantly lead to high sex ratio.
Nevertheless, the research of Ruchi (2018) has revealed that the sex ratio and literacy are inversely correlated indicating that growing literacy led to declines in the sex ratio. Similarly, the research of Kumar and Yadav (2018) have shown that the literacy and sex ratio are negatively correlated and move often in an opposite direction. Supporting the argument, the research of Bhalotra and Cochrane (2010) unfold that women education and sex ratio share opposite relation and more education for women has been found to worsen child sex ratios, because women with more education want to have fewer children overall, but want a son-are more likely to abort girl children (Mayer 1999

Objectives
The study has been undertaken to attain the following objectives.  To suggest the measures for achieving better sex ratio in India and in the state

Nature of Study
The study is correlational and analytical by nature

Hypothesis
Null Hypothesis: There is a significant inverse relation between high literacy and low sex ratio in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Alternative Hypothesis: The literacy and sex ratio are significantly independent to each other

Scope of the Study
The scope of the study is confined to the state of Jammu and Kashmir from the year 1991-92 to

Research Methodology
The study is exclusively based on secondary source of data. The date was collected from the both official and non official records of the department of economics and statistics, planning and development, department of information including journals, research papers, magazines and internet etc. The data collected was tabulated and put to various statistical operations to derive results and arrive at conclusion.

Analysis and Discussion
The sex ratio measured by number of females per 1000 males is an indication of gender equality in a region. Biologically, a girl child is more resistant to disease and more likely to survive infancy than a male child, but the sex ratio shows an adverse trend in India indicating that a male in society is preferred over female. This has been confirmed by the research of Majumdar (2013); Chanda (2014) and Ruchi (2018). Adverse Gender statistics is a most sensitive issue for demographic scientists and policy think tanks says Sen (1990). It has long run policy ramifications for country as a whole. The adverse gender statistics existed even during pre-colonial periods hints Majumdar (2013

Source: DEPS, UT, J &K
The above statistics clearly show that sex ration in India over the last more than one century is continuously declining. It has gone down by 12 (1972-1960)   The  women, deliberate attempts to abort the unwanted births is seen a major factor for poor sex ratio in Indian states. Das Gupta ( 1987) and (Miller ) 1981 report the similar facts.

Gender Statistics in Jammu and Kashmir
In the state of Jammu and Kashmir, low sex ratio is a matter of serious concern for the government and demographic scientists. Despite some marginal improvement, the state has registered continuously low sex ratio over the last more than three decades. At the national level Besides the unregulated and secret medical care, it seems that there are other factors contributing to adverse sex ratio in the state. Accordingly, the study found that literacy, modernization, twochild policy slogan, existing social evils are responsible for adverse ratio in the state. These findings are in tune with the research of Das Gupta and Mari Bhat(1997); Ruchi (2018) and Kishore (1993).

Gender Statistics and Literacy
The literacy rate is measured as a percentage of population aged seven years and above who are Kashmir hovers around 68 percent, which is around 9.70 percent lower than the national average as per census 2021. In order to study the correlation between literacy and sex ratio both in urban and rural areas the study the used the data pertaining to two variables as under in table NO: 5 imbroglio. There appears a wide conflict within the population policy of the government. Long before, the government of Jammu and Kashmir consistent to the government of India , gave a wide family planning slogan " WE TWO AND OUR TWO" and subsequently one child policy.
This slogan rightfully is a predominant factor for selective births and elimination female fetus as the parents are going ahead with planed strategies to avoid female births. It is because they are left with limited probabilities for having male baby therefore, they avoid every risk of not having the female baby.

Availability Advanced Medical Care
Poor sex ratio in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is predominantly attributed to female feticide through ultrasound prenatal sex determination. Here the million dollar question is How accurate is the sex determination of a fetus? Is it necessary for a female to undergo for ultrasound during her pregnancy? Can a sonologist find exactly the sex of fetus ? The available research literature on the subject has clearly state that sex of the fetus cannot be determined exactly. Khuroo (2011) states that it has been repeatedly stressed in the literature by well done studies that determination of prenatal sex through ultrasound is subject to many variables and can be grossly fallacious. Determination of prenatal sex is dependent upon the equipment quality and type of ultrasound probes, age of pregnancy and of course expertise of the operator.
Inappropriate fetal position, excess amount of amniotic fluid and increased thickness of the abdominal wall of the mother can grossly adversely affect prenatal sex determination. Many the genital tubercle of female times if prominent can look like a male organ and vice versa.
Sometimes umbilical card in a female fetus may resemble male organ and give fallacious results Thus chance of making a correct prenatal sex determination at 11 weeks of pregnancy is around sinologist is doing a careful examination. Despite of the fact, sex determination of fetus can never reach 100 percent. Therefore a true sex of a baby can be determined only at birth.

Socio Economic Bottlenecks
Even in the twenty first century women is looked down as inferior specie due to prevent socio cultural and economic factors. The violence against the women is an order of the day. She does not receive adequate safety equal to men both in and outside the home. She is chased for malicious activity, knotted in marriage for dowry and viewed as an obedient servant for family. We as enlightened society yet have not accepted her a vital part of our system equal to men. These odds attached to female in all time force parents to proceed for selected births and abort a female fetus. According to one-survey Jammu and Kashmir ranks at second in Indian union as far as violence against the women is concerned. Moreover, the reduction of human values, deprecation of family norms, rising cost of living, diminishing role of socio cultural institutions etc. motivate parents to discourage female fetus.

Suggestions
In the backdrop of the above discussion, the following suggestions are made: • The government of state Jammu and Kashmir should draw a comprehensive population agenda or policy which should cover all areas and aspects falling under the domain of gender statistics.
• The government should frame strict laws to tape the violence against the women so that her position in the society is elevated.

•
The government should empower women by giving her due recognition and role in all aspects of life.
• The government should educate the people in general and women in particular through public media that sex determination of fetus through ultrasound yet not is an exact means to find the true sex of baby.
• The government should work hard to bring more and more females in the fold of education so that they improve their own lot and the lot of their family.