The child sex ratio in India has declined dramatically from 962 females per 1000 males in 1981 to 914 in 2011 according to the most recent census. This decline is alarming and is due to factors like son preference, female feticide, and social attitudes that view daughters as a burden. Efforts are needed to change perceptions and prevent sex determination tests in order to save the girl child and achieve a balanced population. Legal initiatives have been implemented but more action is still required to properly address this issue.