The practise of identifying a foetus' gender and aborting it if it is a girl is known as female foeticide. Even though it's against the law, lots of people still do it. In addition, certain societies conduct female infanticide, which involves the killing of a girl child soon after birth. This reality is shown by Census 2001 data that indicates there are only 933 women for every 1000 men in the nation.

The Child Sex Ratio (CSR), which is calculated as the number of girls for every 1000 boys between the ages of 0 and 6, also showed a steep fall in Census (2011) data, reaching an all- time low of 918 in 2011 compared to 976 in 1961. Because of the decline in the sex ratio, females are being deprived of their autonomy in addition to their human rights. Because all girls and boys have an equal right to live, this practise must be stopped. To do this, it is essential to protect their rights by outlawing caste prejudice, underage marriage, dowry, and female unemployment.

Following sex recognition tests like an ultrasound scan, female foeticide is an abortion procedure in which a female foetus is removed from the mother's womb prior to birth. Female foeticide and even sex testing are forbidden in India. Parents who are desperate for a son, as well as medical professionals who perform abortions particularly for this reason, feel ashamed about it.

• Female Foeticide Causes:
  While female foeticide might have different root causes depending on one's environment, religious beliefs, and social group, the following are the most typical ones.
   
• The Yearning:
  The primary and most important cause A boy is a status symbol in our society. We are confident that he will help us start a family, make a solid living, maintain his physical and mental health, and provide better care for his parents as they age. The primary motivation behind female foeticide is a desire for a boy. Parents frequently kill their unborn daughters or give birth to a lot of females in order to have a boy. It is impossible for a girl to continue the family bloodline.
  
  The majority of people think that because they would have to wed into the in-law family, girls cannot marry into their father's family. Her parents' extended family would split out after her marriage, leaving her parents alone. But it seems that everything here is wrong. Compared to boys, most girls are more in love with their parents. They are always by their parents' sides, in both joy and sorrow.
   
• Misuse of Ultrasound Technology:
  An ultrasound scanning device can provide a multitude of details about a fetus's early development while the mother is pregnant. Unfortunately, a lot of IVF doctors check the baby's sex using ultrasound scan technology, which is against the law and against the laws of nature. Many ultrasound testing facilities demand a high price just to scan foetuses to determine whether they are male or female. Some parents decide to get an abortion if they find a daughter. This crime and mentality are just abhorrent.
   
• Girls are at Risk.
  (Eve Jokes) The suffocating of girls in the womb is also a result of our civilization. Boys make fun of girls when they are seen alone or in public places. They criticise them for their appearance, personalities, sexual harassment, throwing acid, and abusive dating behaviour. Because of this, parents are cautious to send their daughters to other cities, colleges, and other institutions outside of the family.
   
• Marriage Costs (Dowry System):
  We have adhered to this terrible custom for the past 100 years. Her parents start making plans for her marriage as soon as she is born. Instead of funding her schooling and providing her with decent living conditions, they have started collecting gifts and money for her wedding. Our community bears a heavy financial weight from dowery. For newlywed women who are exposed to relentless harassment and torture by their spouses or the relatives of their new husbands, dowager is also a significant cause of mortality.
   
• Lack of Education:
  The percentage of female homicide is higher in nations or places where illiteracy, ignorance, and a lack of education are common. There are still many people who have persistent anti-women attitudes and ideas. We incorrectly think that women are just for housework because the bulk of them are still at home and involved in household chores. She doesn't require any education or professional experience.
   
• Corruption in the Medical Industry:
  The medical field once had a reputation for being trustworthy and reputable, but today corruption permeates every aspect of it. The corruption is also contributing to an increase in female foeticide. To find out a baby's gender with an ultrasound scan, doctors charge a lot of money. After that, they conduct an abortion. The doctor and the rest of the medical staff must carry out their jobs honourably and legally.
   
• Uneven Gender Ratio:
  As each decade goes on, fewer females are being born in India. The ratio decreased to 914 girls born for every 1000 boys in 2011 from 962 and 945 girls born for every 1000 boys in 1981 and 1991, respectively. 100 females for every 118 boys, or 848 girls for every 1000 boys, is an extremely high ratio in China. There are numerous other nations that are also held captive by abortion; these are just two. Uneven gender ratios are a problem in other nations as well. Below are further statistics from other nations.
   
• Increased Rape and Assault:
  When women are viewed as an endangered species, rape, assault, and other forms of violence rise in frequency. The reality of survival in a culture where male domination is the norm will have to be faced by the survivors when there are fewer females available. through a spike in testosterone The legal system may offer protection, but many crimes may go unpunished because of the girl's fear of being shunned, humiliated, or punished, as is the case right now.
   
• Population Decline:
  There will be fewer births as a result of the absence of moms (male or female) to bear children. Although many nations, notably China and India, place a high focus on population management, doing away with one sex is not the most effective way to accomplish this goal.
   
• Enactment:
  Diagnostic techniques like ultrasonography have been registered under the PC&PNDT Act.In various courts, more than 400 complaints for Act violations have already been made.
   
• Control Procedures:
  The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Methods (Regulation and Female Foeticide Prevention) (Regulation and Prevention of Female Foeticide), (Regulation and Prevention of Female Foeticide), and 1994 saw the passage of the Misuse Act. The Act became active in 1996. It stands alone as a comprehensive document.legislation that specifies the conditions under which prenatal diagnostic methods may be used both places where it is prohibited and places where it is controlled. It consists of techniques for establishing accountability.
   
• Awarenss:
  AIR, Doordarshan, the Song and Drama Division, the Directorate of Field Publicity, and other media units.Additionally, it needs personnel from the DAVP, the Films Division, and the Press Information Bureau. Seminars and workshops .Voluntary organisations have held seminars at the state, regional, district, and block levels to increase awareness of this social ill. Other others have also been asked for their cooperation.
   
• Seminar:
  To stop the practise, religious leaders and medical experts have joined forces.
   
• Elimination of female foeticide:
  The elimination of female foeticide is being pursued, and a plan for doing so is being created. As was previously said, families murdering their children aren't always motivated by poverty. Additionally, the neighbourhood participates in the crime in odd ways, such as making fun of families without troubled children.
  
  The dowry system, ignorance of available welfare programmes for girls, poverty alleviation, the legal ramifications of female infanticide, and illiteracy are a few factors contributing to the failure of government and non-governmental organisation (NGO) programmes and initiatives to assist females.

Case Laws:

• AIR 2010: Laxmi Mandal v. Deen Dayal Harinagar Hospital & Others

A hospital in this case denied a woman's request for an abortion after finding that the foetus was a girl. The hospital is required by the court to pay the lady damages for the physical and psychological suffering it caused.
 
• State of Punjab v. Ramdev Singh, AIR 2003

Specifically, a doctor who encouraged female genital mutilation and conducted sex tests. According to the court, sex-selective abortion violates both the rights of women to equality and to life.
 
• Maruti Shripati Dubal v. State of Maharashtra, 1987 Cr LJ 743

A man was held guilty of forcing his wife to have an abortion after discovering the gender of the unborn child. The woman's and the foetus' rights to life and dignity were breached, the court said.
 
• Pardeep Kumar versus the State of Haryana, AIR 2020

A man who killed his daughter shortly after she was born because he wanted a male was found guilty of the crime. The court ruled that the murder of a baby girl qualified as a crime, and the defendant was given a life sentence.

Conclusion
Forthcoming is the name of your daughter, and Past is the name of your mother. In actuality, there is no past, present, or future without a girl child. Female suicide, often known as female foeticide, occurs when a woman does it. Protecting girls will protect the future of children around the world. Female feticide will have serious repercussions. Demographic predictions indicate that India would experience a lack of brides in the marriage market during the next 20 years due to an unfavourable sex ratio.

Written By: Vartika Ranjan (6th sem) School Of Legal Studies, Central University Of Kashmir