The children of unwed mothers and rape victims can live in this country with the fundamental rights of privacy, liberty, and dignity, the Kerala High Court has said and allowed a person to include his mother’s name alone in the birth certificate, identity certificates and other documents.

High maternal mortality in India, particularly across empowered action group (EAG) states, is a critical policy concern. This paper discusses the trends and patterns in reduction in maternal mortality in India, and focuses on highlighting inter- and intra-state disparities.