India's Gender Progress Blind Spot: Missing Sex Ratio Data Mars NFHS-6 Report

India's recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) has sparked significant concern by conspicuously omitting crucial data on the sex ratio of the total population and the child sex ratio at birth. This surprising absence in one of the country's most vital health and demographic surveys could severely impact India's ability to accurately assess gender equality and monitor policies aimed at uplifting girls and women. The lack of these key demographic indicators throws a wrench into efforts to understand and combat the deeply rooted problem of 'missing women,' a concept highlighted by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to describe the disproportionately low number of females relative to males in certain populations due to gender bias and discrimination. Without this detailed data, especially at district levels, it becomes challenging for policymakers to identify areas where sex-selective practices and patriarchal norms persist, making it harder to evaluate the effectiveness of government initiatives. Public health experts are questioning the government's explanation of 'data harmonisation' for these omissions, fearing it might obscure uncomfortable realities rather than improve data quality. While some indicators like child mortality are now tracked by the Sample Registration System (SRS), the NFHS traditionally offered comprehensive, socio-economic and district-level breakdowns essential for targeted interventions. The coming months will reveal if public pressure leads to the reinstatement of these vital metrics or if India will continue to navigate its gender justice goals with a critical blind spot.