India?s Civil Registration System Report

News: According to the recently released annual report on Vital Statistics based on the 2020 Civil Registration System Report (CRS), the Union of Ladakh recorded the highest sex ratio at birth in the country in 2020.
• The report was published by the Registrar General of India.
• Sex ratio at birth is the number of females born per thousand males. It is an important indicator to map the gender gap of a population.


Key Highlights of the Report

• Highest Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) 
• In 2020, it is reported by Ladakh (1104) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (1011), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (984), Tripura (974), and Kerala (969).
• In 2019, the highest sex ratio at birth was reported by Arunachal Pradesh (1024), followed by Nagaland (1001), Mizoram (975) and A&N Islands (965).
• The information from Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi on sex ratio at birth was ‘not available.’

• Lowest Sex Ratio at Birth
• The top five states that recorded Lowest Sex Ratio at Birth in 2020 are Manipur (880), followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (898), Gujarat (909), Haryana (916) and Madhya Pradesh (921).
• In 2019, the lowest sex ratio was reported by Gujarat (901), Assam (903), Madhya Pradesh (905) and Jammu & Kashmir (909). 

• Birth Rate 
• States like Nagaland, Puducherry, Telangana, Manipur, Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Mizoram, and Chandigarh recorded a decrease in the registered birth rate.
• Lakshadweep, Bihar, Haryana, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan recorded an increase in the  registered birth rate.

• Death Rate 
• Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Nagaland, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andaman & Nicobar Island and Assam recorded an increase in death rate in 2020 with respect to 2019.
• Bihar saw the maximum increase in the death rate with 18.3% followed by Maharashtra with 16.6% and Assam with 14.7%.
• Meanwhile, states like Manipur, Chandigarh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, and Kerala saw a decrease in death rates in 2020 with respect to 2019.

• Infant Deaths 
• The report noted that 1,43,379 infant deaths were registered in 2020 and the share of rural area was only 23.4%, while that of the urban area was 76.6% of total registered infant deaths.
• Non-registration of infant deaths in rural areas was a cause of concern, due to non-reporting of infant deaths to the Registrars, especially in case of domiciliary events.