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In Pictures: The world’s seven billionth baby

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, is said to be the birthplace of the planet’s milestone newborn.

Nargis is born
Baby Nargis was born at 07:25 local time (01:55GMT) in the Mall village in north India. Nargis symbolises the 7 billionth person born in the world. In an event held outside Lucknow, the capital of the country(***)s most populous state, the newborn girl was given a birth certificate by the local administration [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
Published On 31 Oct 2011
7 billionth baby
Three pregnant mothers in Uttar Pradesh had been among the cohort of women likely to deliver on or around October 31 [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
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India 7th billion person gallery
Globally, nearly 800,000 girls are being eliminated every year before they are born due to preference for boys [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
India alone accounts for 500,000 sex-selective abortions annually. The government has enacted a law against use of technology for sex-determination and sex-selective abortions, but the practice continues unabated [Plan / Alf Berg]
About 7 million girls are missing from India(***)s child sex ratio and the number is rising [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
The widening gap in sex ratio has reached alarming levels in some rural districts. Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh now has only 837 girls per 1,000 boys under the age of 6. [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
In societies across South Asia and the Far East, boys are considered to be a family(***)s biggest social and financial asset and girls a liability [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
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India 7th billion person gallery
Women often have very little say in their own reproductive health. A large number believe their social worth is derived from the number of sons they deliver [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
Ramvati, a mother of seven daughters, is often pitied by other villagers for not having a son. People have even suggested healers who guarantee a baby boy [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
Social consequences of "missing girls" are beginning to be felt. Many men like Kanwarpal have tried and given up hopes of ever finding a bride [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
Dablu from Uttar Pradesh travelled nearly 500km to Chhattisgarh and married Sandhya with the help of a local matchmaker. The long-distance brides often come from very poor families and many don(***)t get to see them for years [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
Changing centuries-old beliefs is a great challenge. Many people fail to see the consequences of a widening gender gap [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
Advocates are using creative methods such as games, songs and drama to engage with villagers at all levels [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
Traditionally, women are blamed for giving birth to girls. Awareness often starts with getting the basic facts right [Plan / Davinder Kumar]
India 7th billion person gallery
In remote villages, teenagers are being trained to lead awareness campaigns. They go door-to-door and explain to local communities that girls and boys are equal [Plan / Davinder Kumar]