Since India’s independence, population stabilization has been one of the prime concerns in its development agenda.

It is now common practice to infer the social status of women from their demographic characteristics. Yet it is not so easy to read through demographic progress, in terms of declines in mortality and fertility, to make unambiguous judgments about trends in women's social standing.

Status literally means position in relation to others. The status enjoyed by women in any society is an index of the standard of its social organisation.

The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, is a critical piece of legislation in India aimed at addressing and curbing the practice of sex-selective abortions and ensuring the ethical use of prenatal diagnostic technologies.

The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, is an Indian law aimed at regulating Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), sperm or egg donation, and surrogacy.