NEW DELHI, March 4: The Indian government plans to give cash incentives to the families of baby girls in an effort to limit the number of abortions of females because of a preference for sons.

Staggered payments would be made to families to “encourage them for better upbringing of girl child and to educate her”, women and child development minister Renuka Chowdhury said in a statement released late on Monday.

India has only 927 females for every 1,000 males — far lower than the worldwide average of 1,050 females.

UNICEF says India continues to lose almost 7,000 girls every day through abortions.—AFP