KEY TRENDS   • Maternal Mortality Ratio for India was 370 in 2000, 286 in 2005, 210 in 2010, 158 in 2015 and 145 in 2017. Therefore, the MMRatio for the country decreased by almost 61 percent between 2000 and 2017 *14    • As per the NSS 71st round, among rural females aged 5-29 years, the main reasons for dropping out/ discontinuance were: engagement in domestic activities, not interested in education, financial constraints and marriage. Among rural males aged...

In a bid to ensure participation of more women in politics, the state government has proposed changing the present legislation to reserve 50 per cent seats in rural bodies for women. Deputy chief minister Sudesh Mahto, who also holds the panchayati raj portfolio, has already given his consent to the proposal, which, however, has to be passed by the state cabinet. “We are working on the proposal to grant 50...