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Female foeticide and Infanticide in India has increasingly become a matter of concern for all. So much so that even the Media has taken up this cause. In the vicinity of a private hospital in Patiala district, a 30 ft deep well yeided 50 dead fetuses, all female. Despite the PNDT Act, the aborting of female fetuses continues virtually unchecked. The 'unaceptable crime is still flourishing. This 'Silent Genocide' has assumed alarming proportions.

This book attempts to address the crucial issue of female foeticide and infanticide in India, with special reference to the states of Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Taking a close look at the population, child sex ratio and fertility rate in the country, it makes an in-depth study of the socio-economic status of the families in Punjab and Tamil Nadu where the declining sex ratio is more prevalent.

Probing the socio-economic reasons behind the problem of female foeticide and infanticide, it analyzes the impact of prosperity in the two states, thanks to increased education and employment among the women, leading to women resistance. It also examines the attitude of government officials towards implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act.

The book will be useful to all concerned with this emerging issus, in particular the policy makers, the law makers and government implementation machinery.

The book is part od a project sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi. The research work was conducted at Instiute of Public Enterprise Hyderabad.