The relevant age group for computation of child sex-ratio is:

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The relevant age group for the computation of the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), particularly in the context of official demographic statistics like the Indian Census, is consistently defined as **0-6 years**. This specific age bracket is crucial because it measures the number of females per 1,000 males *before* children typically enter primary schooling, making it a key indicator of societal preference for boys and the resulting gender disparity in care, health, and survival in the formative years. A declining or unfavorable child sex ratio in this group points strongly to issues such as female infanticide, sex-selective abortion, and neglect of the girl child, which must be addressed through targeted policies focusing on early childhood.

The incorrect option is 1 (0-1 year): This period, often used for infant mortality statistics, is too narrow to capture the cumulative impact of health, neglect, and survival biases across the entire formative early childhood period, which extends beyond the first year.

The incorrect option is 2 (0-4 years): While representing a significant portion of early childhood, the 0-4 age group omits two crucial years (5 and 6) that are officially included in the globally and nationally standardized definition of the child sex ratio for comparative demographic analysis.

The incorrect option is 4 (0-7 years): This age group extends beyond the internationally recognized standard of 0-6 years used for this specific demographic indicator. Including age 7 would mix the statistics for early childhood with children who have completed this stage, potentially skewing the critical analysis of pre-school gender survival trends.