On a hot summer’s day in 1982, while walking through a jungle path in Bankura, West Bengal, anthropologist Naraya

Infertility has been relatively neglected as both a health problem and a subject for social science research in South Asia, as in the developing world more generally. The general thrust of both programmes and research has been on the correlates of high fertility and its regulation rather than on

Undernourished women tend to deliver low birth weight babies (Karmer, 1987) and to have pregnancy complications (Baird, 1947). Perinatal mortality and prematurity rates were found to be high among short statured women (Barros, 1987).

INDIA IS A VAST country with a population of more than 844 million. The tribal populations of India constitute a significant proportion of India's total population. There are more than 400 tribal population groups constituting

Though fertility is a biological phenomenon there are a number of other factors influencing the levels and differentials of fertility among tribals.

Though fertility is a biological phenomenon there are a number of other factors influencing the levels and differentials of fertility among tribals.

The status of women in many parts of rural India is low. The situation is even worse among tribal communities or primitive societies, which constitute approximately 7.5 percent of the total population of the country [1]. In such

In India tribals are neglected a lot, discriminated in terms of income distribution and social status.

The tribal population groups from 7.95 percent of the total population of India. About 67.76 million persons have been enumerated in the country (excluding Jammu & Kashmir) as members of the Scheduled Tribes (1991 census).