Priyanka Gandhi criticized the Nitish Kumar government over the lowest sex ratio in Bihar.
Patna, June 9, 2025: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed serious concern over the lowest sex ratio on Monday and launched a scathing attack on Bihar’s “double engine government” led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP.
As per the Vital Statistics Report 2022 released by the Office of the Register General of India Bihar recorded the lowest sex ratio at birth in the country, with just 891 girls born per 1,000 boys.
In a post on the social media platform X, Priyanka Gandhi asked: “What is happening that the number of girls among the children born is continuously falling?”
She added, “On the one hand, there is continuous brutality against women, and on the other hand, Bihar now has the worst sex ratio in the country. This is a clear indication that the so-called double engine is proving to be dangerous for women.
Priyanka Gandhi’s statement came in the context of a sharp decline in three years:
The numbers from the Civil Registration System paint a disturbing picture.
In 2020, the sex ratio at birth was 964 girls per 1,000 boys, in 2021, dropped to 908 in 2022, further declined to 891.
This steep fall points to persistent and systemic gender discrimination, where the birth of daughters is still undervalued in many parts of the state.
Wider national context:
While Bihar is witnessing a decline, most other states have shown improvements or relative stability.
States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttarakhand have registered an increase in total births.
In contrast Tamil Nadu, Kerela, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Delhi have seen declines in birth numbers but not in sex ratio to his extent.
Nationally, registered births increased from 242 lakh (2021) to 254.4 lakh (2022) and registered deaths decreased from 102.2 lakh to 86.5 lakh.
Yet, Bihar stands out as a worrying outlier with its plummeting sex ratio.
Political Implications ahead of the state polls:
The timing of this revelation is politically significant, coming just months ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
With women voters forming 47.6% of the state’s electorate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and recording a 50.4% turnout, the focus on gender issues is intensifying.
This statistic is more than just a demographic number it is a reflection of societal attitudes.
The continuous fall in the sex ratio suggests that preference for male children still dominates despite ongoing awareness campaigns and government programs promoting the girl child.
EOM.