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The Unintended Effects of a Ban on Sex-Selective Abortion on Infant Mortality: Evidence from India

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  • Arindam Nandi

Abstract

India has long struggled with persistent problems of sex-selective abortions and the neglect of female children. In 1996, the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act was implemented to stop the practices of prenatal sex determination and selective abortions. This paper examines whether the law has been effective in reducing gender imbalance, and in turn potentially exacerbated post-natal discrimination against newborn girls. Using retrospective birth history data from the Indian District Level Household Survey (2002-2004), we exploit a natural experiment involving a variation in the timing of the law across states. We analyse the differential impact of the law on newborn sex ratios and infant mortality rates. Our findings indicate that the law significantly increased the likelihood of a female birth, improving female-to-male sex ratios at birth. We also find that it was generally associated with no change in the relative mortality of infant girls.

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  • Arindam Nandi, 2015. "The Unintended Effects of a Ban on Sex-Selective Abortion on Infant Mortality: Evidence from India," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(4), pages 466-482, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:oxdevs:v:43:y:2015:i:4:p:466-482
    DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2014.973390
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    1. Rebeca Echavarri, 2022. "Neonatal discrimination and excess female mortality in childhood in Spain in the first half of the twentieth century," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 16(1), pages 79-104, January.
    2. Garima Rastogi & Anisha Sharma, 2022. "Unwanted daughters: the unintended consequences of a ban on sex-selective abortions on the educational attainment of women," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1473-1516, October.
    3. Anisha Sharma & Garima Rastogi, 2020. "Unwanted daughters: The impact of a ban on sex-selection on the educational attainment of women," Working Papers 37, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    4. Alcalde-Unzu, Jorge & Echavarri, Rebeca & Husillos, Javier, 2020. "An evolutionary model of prenatal and postnatal discrimination against females," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 1-14.
    5. Aparajita Dasgupta & Anisha Sharma, 2021. "Can Legal Bans on Sex Detection Technology Reduce Gender Discrimination?," Working Papers 58, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.

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