The single most important problem that India is facing now is the uncontrolled growth of population. In spite of availability of a wide range of contraceptives and mass media campaigns and IEC programs, the population control remains a distant dream to achieve.

Recognizing the urgency of containing its population, the Government of India has consistently increased the budget outlay for the family planning program with each Five-Year Plan from Rs. 6.5 million in its first five-year plan to Rs.65,000 million in the eighth five-year plan.

In early fifties, socioeconomic implications of population growth were a matter of concern largely in the context of the argument that rapid population growth is an obstacle to development.

The concept of fecundability - the monthly probability of conception in women - is one of the principal determinants of fertility and one of the most important parameters for studying fertility patterns in different societies.

Population growth and development relationships have been focus of debate in various contexts but more often than not receiving an arbitrary deal.

A woman would prefer to prevent an unwanted pregnancy rather than having an abortion or carrying the pregnancy to term. No amount of legal or religious restrictions, social stigma or lack of access to professional care can stop her if she decides to seek termination of an unplanned pregnancy.

The demographic transition in the developed countries occurred without a government sponsored family planning programme. The transition took place in a synchronized manner along with socio-economic development. The rate of growth of their population was never very high.

The paper uses the National Family Health Survey (NFHS, 1992-93) data to examine the extent to which sex preferences have constrained the success of the family planning programme and inhibited the acceptance of contraception in the different states of the country.

Bangladesh, with its characteristic high growth rate and population density,
widespread poverty, and very low literacy and standard of living, has faced no greater
problem than its ever-increasing population. Its size, composition and rate of growth of

This article is based on the ten-year experience of an operations research project in Bangladesh. It assesses how, and under what circumstances, research-based advice and results of pilot projects contribute to change in large-scale public programs.