Census 2011: Child sex ratio goes down in Assam

Assam has recorded a concerning decline in child sex ratio in rural areas with a dip of 10 points in 2011 against data of 2001 even as more than 85 per cent of the states population continued to live in rural areas. Releasing the second part of the provisional population total of Census of India, 2011, for the state of Assam, Rabendra Kumar Das, director of Census Operations, Assam, informed that the decline in rural population of the state has been lesser compared to the all India figure. Of the total 3,11,69,272 population of Assam, 2,67,80,516 people lived in rural areas and the remaining 43,88,756 people in urban areas, as per the data released today. While the percentage decadal growth (2001-11) of the total population stood at 16.93 per cent, in rural areas it was 15.35 per cent and in urban areas, 27.61 per cent. Mr Das pointed that the current rural population (2.68 crore) is close to the states total population of 2.67 crore in 2001 census. The state recorded a decline in rural share of population at 1.18 per cent against the all India percentage of 3.35 per cent. Subsequently, the increase in urbanisation in the state was 1.18 per cent against the national figure of 3.35 per cent. The director pointed that the state witnessed improved sex ratio in both rural and urban areas. The sex ratio (females per 1000 males) in rural areas increased from 944 in 2001 to 956 in 2011 and in urban areas, it rose from 872 in 2001 to 937 in 2011. Similarly, the literacy rates have also improved over the past decade, Mr Das said. In rural areas, the literacy rate went up from 59.73 in 2001 to reach 70.44 in 2011. urban areas also recorded an improvement from 85.34 in 2001 to reach 88.88 in 2011. However, the child sex ratio of 0-6 age group (females per 1000 males) saw an overall dip of 8 points. The overall child sex ratio in the state fell from 965 in 2001 to 957 in 2011. Rural areas recorded a concerning decline in this ratio from 967 in 2001 to 957 in 2011. In urban areas, the child sex ratio went up from 943 in 2001 to 955 in 2011. In terms of largest rural population in the state, Nagaon district registered the largest population while Dima Hasao district has the smallest population. In urban population, Kamrup (metropolitan) has registered the highest population and Baksa district, the lowest population.