The Female Child in India A Struggle for Survival

\ the Gomez scale (Table 1). r--Sen-and Sengupta "{Ronomic . 1 Political Weekly, vol. 18, Anr . Number 855-864, 1983) provide silT data on the nutritional status from \ villages of West .8engal (Table 2). r .-Oifferences are more markedmKl in spite of a better economic level i eating that boys have benefited f better income levels. The authors 0 study also point out that the exter discrimination' sharpens in times a tress as for instance was the ca Visaria (Monograph No. 10, Office ( the Registrar-General of India) attribute the current distortion in sex ratio in Indi, to higher female mortality; the earlie Khanna Study (Wyon, J.B. and Gordor J.E., The Khanna Study, also Harvar University Press, 1971) comes to th same conclusion. The life expectancy of females in Ind is less than that of males (M 55.1 years, F 5431 years for 1981-1986 The projection for 1986-91 is 57.6 yea •• and 57.1 years for males and femah respectively. It is interesting to note It life expectancy of females was high than males up to 1911-21 and thereaf1 the male life expectancy became high(