Indian Family Planning Program, though started in 1952 on solid developmental and women's welfare grounds, has had over the years rapid upswings followed by downswings either because of bad and hurried population policies such as during national emergency in 1975 or setting unre

Experts are increasingly emphasizing the need to assess the quality of family planning services from the users' perspective.

Sterilization is the most popular method of contraception in India. The 1992-93 National Family Health Survey found that of the 36.2 percent of eligible couples using any modern method, most (30.7 percent) had been sterilized and only 5.5 percent were using temporary methods (IIPS 1995).

Religion has a significant relevance in the demographic study of socio-economic groups.

Religion has a significant relevance in the demographic study of socio-economic groups.

The impact of the family planning (FP) programme over the years is showing varying impacts on fertility across regions and population groups in India.

STRONG preference for sons over daughters exists in the Indian subcontinent, east Asia, north Africa and west Asia unlike in the western countries [Muthurayappa et al 1997, Lancet 1990, Okun 1996].

IT is indeed a tall claim, almost an impossible task - to set in motion the immobile-to create spectators who would continue to perform.

With the increase in the urbanization and industrialization, the concept of family in India, which once was to create and maintain a common culture among the members of the family, is undergoing changes.

The high female infant mortality rates (Miller, 1985); the practice of female infanticide (Krishnaswamy, 1988); the neglect of female children with regard to access to health services, nutrition, (Sen and Sengupta, 1983 and education (Mankekar, 1985); and the sexual abuse of girls (Bhalerao, 1985