This study tests the hypothesis that, in Nepal, measures of ideal family size mask an underlying preference for sons, making some people willing to have families larger than their ideal. Existing evidence suggests that men are likely to have stronger preferences for sons than are women.

The preference of couples worldwide for a male or female child is an age-old phenomenon. In many developing countries, including India, the preference for sons is strong and has influenced fertility to a large extent.

The banners for the International Women's Day still flutter in the hall. The air is still thick with songs and slogans. Dreams in clenched fists and raised voices still float in the eyes. However, there is dead silence at Surinder Lotow'a's house. This is the happiest and luckiest day for him.

From May 2, 1992, for one full week the town of Cochin in Kerala will witness the re-enactment of a historical event. The previous performance is said to have been orchestrated by King Dashrath a few thousand years ago.

In 1975, amniocentesis arrived in India as a method for the detection of genetic abnormalities. Soon it came to be used more commonly for sex determination (S.D.), actually a misnomer for sex prediction leading to sex selective abortions.

Consumerist Culture oriented economic development, commercialisation of medical profession and sexist biases in our society, combined together have created a sad scenario of ‘missing girls’.

The contributory of science and technology in shaping various aspects of human life needs no elaboration. At present, amongst activists there are two basic streams of thought regarding such a role of science and technology. According to one, `science is neutral and value-free.