The study looks at the interrelated factors of transition from a pre-state forest dependent economy to a social system of an agricultural

Sterilization for men and women is the most commonly used contraceptive method both in India at large and in Uttar Pradesh.

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).

The notion of quality in the public health system is becoming increasingly an issue for policymakers and planners in India. The Eighth Five-Year Plan identified the poor quality of family welfare services as one of the factors

In recent years there has been a growing concern in many countries, including India, that public health and family planning programs have placed insufficient emphasis on the quality of their services (Ickis 1992; Khan et al. 1994; Mensch 1993; Miller et al. 1991).

The existing structural nature of women's work (domestic as well as non-domestic) has severe built-in hazards for women (reproductive and otherwise) which no amount of first rate quality of care, total coverage and/or access to health services alone can deal with.

The women's health movement in India today is fast gaining momentum, although there continues to be a vast gap between ground realities and women's aspirations. Women's groups are extremely active and are working towards the betterment of health care services nationwide.

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994 reiterated the need for appropriate health care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and produce a healthy infant.

The health of the general population as well as specific groups (infants, women, etc) has for long been an important concern for development studies.

In many developing countries, women's activities, traditionally confined to the household, have changed over time.