The selective abortion of female fetuses in India is a trend that has continued from the 1980s, according to early 2001 census figures, the New York Times reports. India has a "strong cultural preference for sons, and the Times reports that sex determination tests, typically ultrasounds, are often performed -- even though they are illegal in India -- and used to determine whether to carry the pregnancy to term. This year, the number of girls per 1,000 boys fell to 927, down from 945 in 1991 and 962 in 1981. The dip in the ratio of girls to boys has been "most extreme" in the "richest" states of northern India, where more people can afford the tests and abortions. Amartya Sen, of Trinity College at Cambridge, said, "India is catching up with other sexist, modern societies like South Korea and China in sex-selective abortions. It's a technological revolution of a reactionary kind." The Times reports that clinics that perform ultrasounds have "large signs" advertising the sex determination service, even though it is illegal. In addition, "itinerant" doctors often carry the machines from "clinic to clinic" to offer the tests. However, the state will only prosecute a case if a woman complains that she was forced to "have a test and abort a female fetus," and the Times states that women are "unlikely" to complain, as they often want a boy as "intensely" as the rest of their family. Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, a general practitioner, said, "Frankly, everybody knows it is illegal, even the doctors and the radiologists performing these type of scans. But under the cover of diagnostic processes, they perform it. They tell the patient verbally about the sex. They do it for monetary purposes, to sustain their practice." The Times reports that the Indian Medical Association and a "range" of other groups are campaigning against sex-selective abortions (Dugger, New York Times, 4/22).