Poverty -In three poor states in eastern India, the poverty ratio dropped far

more slowly -- from

66% to 47.15% in Orissa, 62% to 42.6% in Bihar, and 51% to 36.09% in Assam

Literacy
Eastern India has a literacy rate of 59.7, which is much lower
than the national literacy rate of 64.8.

While male literacy is lower than the national average, female literacy in the East is much
higher than the national average of 43.9.

Workers account for 37.1 percent of the population of East

India.

The ratio of both male and female workers is lower than the
averages for India.

Unemployment
Tourism
Industry
GDP
Agriculture
Economic Reforms

Population
The Eastern region of India has a current population of 312 million and represents 28
percent of the total Indian population.

The expected growth rate of population for East India over 2007 to 2025 is lower than the
expected Indian population growth rate over the same period
 USE OF TOBACCO

NEW DELHI: Northern India has the least number of female tobacco users while eastern
India leads the pack, according to India's first-ever adult tobacco survey.

Around 20.3% women in India -- at 15 years and above -- use some form of tobacco, says
the large scale survey conducted jointly by CDC Atlanta, IIPS Mumbai, WHO and the
Union health ministry.

However, northern and southern India record the lowest prevalence -- 3.7% and 13.7%,
respectively.

While one in five women in central India consume tobacco, the prevalence is one in three
in eastern India.

At 30.8%, the prevalence is also very high in north-eastern India. While in the West,
16.1% women consume some form of tobacco.

In northern India, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest prevalence of female tobacco
users (10.3%), Punjab (0.5%), Chandigarh (1.7%) and Delhi (3.7%).

As per the state-wise break-up, Mizoram records the highest number of female tobacco
users (62%) followed by Tripura (48%), Nagaland (43%), Manipur (41.8%), Chhattisgarh
(41.6%) and Bihar (40.1%).

In eastern India, 19.3% women in West Bengal use tobacco. The corresponding figures
are 40% and 36% in Bihar and Orissa, respectively.

In southern India, Tamil Nadu records 8.4% prevalence of tobacco use among women,
Karnataka (16.3%) and Kerala (8.5%).

In western India, the prevalence stands at 18.9% in Maharashtra, 11.3% in Gujarat and
4.1% in Goa.

In central India, 12.9% women consume tobacco or tobacco products, Uttar Pradesh
(16.9%), Chhattisgarh (41.6%) and Madhya Pradesh (18.9%).

According to the report, released on Tuesday by Union health minister Ghulam Nabi
Azad, tobacco use has been found to be inversely related to the literacy levels. Among
adults, tobacco use decreases sharply with education. Prevalence of tobacco use
decreases from 68% among males and 33% among females with no formal education to
31% among males and only 4% among females with secondary or higher education.
Females with no formal education are more likely to smoke.

According to the World Health Organization, women consist about 20% of the world's
more than one billion smokers. Both men and women who smoke are prone to cancer,
heart disease and respiratory disease. Tobacco also causes additional female-specific
cancers and compromises pregnancy and reproductive health.

Experts say 90% of all lung cancer deaths in women smokers could be attributed to
smoking. Women who smoke have an increased risk for other cancers, including cancers
of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx (voice box), esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and
uterine cervix.

Other experts say scientific studies have also shown that tobacco consumption increases
the risk for infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, and sudden infant
death syndrome.

Postmenopausal women who smoke have lower bone density than women who never
smoked. Women who smoke have an increased risk for hip fracture than non- smokers.

The WHO report showed how tobacco companies are continuously targeting girls
through their advertising campaigns.

Read more: Eastern India leads the pack in female tobacco users: Survey - The Times of
India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Eastern-India-leads-the-pack-in-female-
tobacco-users-Survey/articleshow/6776204.cms#ixzz17oPZDqcI

VOILENCE

The overall prevalence of physical, psychological, sexual and any form of violence
among women of Eastern India were 16%, 52%, 25% and 56% respectively. These rates
reported by men were 22%, 59%, 17% and 59.5% respectively. Men reported higher
prevalence of all forms of violence apart from sexual violence. Husbands were mostly
responsible for violence in majority of cases and some women reported the involvement
of husbands' parents. It is found that various acts of violence were continuing among
majority of women who reported violence. Some socio-economic characteristics of
women have significant association with the occurrence of domestic violence. Urban
residence, older age, lower education and lower family income are associated with
occurrence of domestic violence. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that the
physical violence has significant association with state, residence (rural or urban), age
and occupation of women, and monthly family income. Similar associations are found for
psychological violence (with residence, age, education and occupation of the women and
monthly family income) and sexual violence (with residence, age and educational level of
women).
Conclusion
The prevalence of domestic violence in Eastern India is relatively high compared to
majority of information available from India and confirms that domestic violence is a
universal phenomenon. The primary healthcare institutions in India should institutionalise
the routine screening and treatment for violence related injuries and trauma. Also, these
results provide vital information to assess the situation to develop public health
interventions, and to sensitise the concerned agencies to implement the laws related to
violence against women.

The overall prevalence of physical, psychological, sexual and any form of violence
among women of Eastern India were 16%, 52%, 25% and 56% respectively. These rates
reported by men were 22%, 59%, 17% and 59.5% respectively. Men reported higher
prevalence of all forms of violence apart from sexual violence. Husbands were mostly
responsible for violence in majority of cases and some women reported the involvement
of husbands' parents. It is found that various acts of violence were continuing among
majority of women who reported violence. Some socio-economic characteristics of
women have significant association with the occurrence of domestic violence. Urban
residence, older age, lower education and lower family income are associated with
occurrence of domestic violence. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that the
physical violence has significant association with state, residence (rural or urban), age
and occupation of women, and monthly family income. Similar associations are found for
psychological violence (with residence, age, education and occupation of the women and
monthly family income) and sexual violence (with residence, age and educational level of
women).
Conclusion
The prevalence of domestic violence in Eastern India is relatively high compared to
majority of information available from India and confirms that domestic violence is a
universal phenomenon. The primary healthcare institutions in India should institutionalise
the routine screening and treatment for violence related injuries and trauma. Also, these
results provide vital information to assess the situation to develop public health
interventions, and to sensitise the concerned agencies to implement the laws related to
violence against women.
 AIDS

AVERT is an international HIV and AIDS charity, based in the UK, working to avert
HIV and AIDS worldwide, through education, treatment and care. (survey)

Goa

Goa, a popular tourist destination, is a very small state in the southwest of India
(population 1.4 million). In 2007 HIV prevalence among antenatal and STD clinic
attendees was 0.18% and 5.6% respectively.29 The Goa State AIDS Control Society
reported that in 2008, a record number of 26,737 people were tested for HIV, of which
1018 (3.81%) tested positive.30

Karnataka

Karnataka, a diverse state in the southwest of India, has a population of around 53

million. HIV prevalence among antenatal clinic attendees exceeded 1% from 2003 to
2006, and dropped to 0.5% in 2007.31 Districts with the highest prevalence tend to be
located in and around Bangalore in the southern part of the state, or in northern
Karnataka's "devadasi belt". Devadasi women are a group of women who have
historically been dedicated to the service of gods. These days, this has evolved into
sanctioned prostitution, and as a result many women from this part of the country are
supplied to the sex trade in big cities such as Mumbai.32 The average HIV prevalence
among female sex workers in Karnataka was just over 5% in 2007, and 17.6% of men
who have sex with men were found to be infected.33

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a very large state of three hundred thousand square kilometres, with a
total population of around 97 million. The capital city of Maharashtra - Mumbai
(Bombay) - is the most populous city in India, with around 14 million inhabitants. The
HIV prevalence at antenatal clinics in Maharashtra was 0.5% in 2007.34 At 18%, the state
has the highest reported rates of HIV prevalence among female sex workers.35 Similarly
high rates were found among injecting drug users (24%) and men who have sex with men
(12%

Manipur

Manipur is a small state of some 2.4 million people in northeast India. Manipur borders
Myanmar (Burma), one of the world's largest producers of illicit opium. In the early
1980s drug use became popular in northeast India and it wasn't long before HIV was
reported among injecting drug users in the region.41 Although NACO report a state-wise
HIV prevalence of 17.9% among IDUs, studies from different areas of the state find
prevalence to be as high as 32%.42

HIV is no longer confined to IDUs, but has spread further to the general population. HIV
prevalence at antenatal clinics in Manipur exceeded 1% in recent years, but then declined
to 0.75% in 2007.43 Estimated adult HIV prevalence is the highest out of all states, at
1.57%.44

Mizoram

The small northeastern state of Mizoram has fewer than a million inhabitants. In 1998, an
HIV epidemic took off quickly among the state's male injecting drug users, with some
drug clinics registering HIV rates of more than 70% among their patients.45 In recent
years the average prevalence among this group has been much lower, at around 3-7%.46
HIV prevalence at antenatal clinics was 0.75% in 2007.47

 NACO (2007)'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A

technical brief'
 Goa State AIDS Control Society 'Facts and figures in detail'
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 Sivaram S. (2002) 'Integrating income generation and AIDS prevention efforts:
lessons from working with devadasi women in rural Karnataka, India', Abstract
MoOrF1048, The XIV International AIDS Conference
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 Kumar, M. S. et al (2009) 'Opioid substitution treatment with sublingual
buprenorphine in Manipur and Nagaland in Northeast India: what has been established
needs to be continued and expanded', Harm Reduction Journal, 2009 vol.6(1)4.
 Mahanta, J. et al (2008) 'Injecting and sexual risk behaviours, sexually transmitted
infections and HIV prevalence in injecting drug users in three states in India', AIDS
2008, 22 (5):59-68
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 World Bank 'South Asia Region (SAR)- India Regional Updates'
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'
 NACO (2007) 'HIV sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation in India 2007: A
technical brief'

POOR AND NUTRITION

NEW DELHI: India's abysmal track record at ensuring basic levels of nutrition is the
greatest contributor to its poverty as measured by the new international Multi-
dimensional Poverty Index (MPI). About 645 million people or 55% of India's population
is poor as measured by this composite indicator made up of ten markers of education,
health and standard of living achievement levels.

Developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) for the
United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) forthcoming 2010 Human
Development Report, the MPI attempts to capture more than just income poverty at the
household level. It is composed of ten indicators: years of schooling and child enrollment
(education); child mortality and nutrition (health); and electricity, flooring, drinking
water, sanitation, cooking fuel and assets (standard of living). Each education and health
indicator has a 1/6 weight, each standard of living indicator a 1/18 weight.

The new data also shows that even in states generally perceived as prosperous such as
Haryana, Gujarat and Karnataka, more than 40% of the population is poor by the new
composite measure, while Kerala is the only state in which the poor constitute less than
20%. The MPI measures both the incidence of poverty and its intensity. A person is
defined as poor if he or she is deprived on at least 3 of the 10 indicators. By this
definition, 55% of India was poor, close to double India's much-criticised official poverty
figure of 29%. Almost 20% of Indians are deprived on 6 of the 10 indicators.

Nutritional deprivation is overwhelmingly the largest factor in overall poverty,

unsurprising given that half of all children in India are under-nourished according to the
National Family Health Survey III (2005-06). Close to 40% of those who are defined as
poor are also nutritionally deprived. In fact, the contribution of nutrition to the overall
MPI is even greater in urban than rural India.

A comparison of the state of Madhya Pradesh and the sub-Saharan nation of the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which have close to the same population and a
similar MPI (0.389 and 0.393 respectively), shows that nutritional deprivation, arguably
the most fundamental part of poverty, in MP far exceeds that in the DRC. Nutritional
deprivation contributes to almost 20% of MP's MPI and only 5% of the DRC's MPI. MP's
drinking water, electricity and child mortality levels are better than that of the DRC.

Multi-dimensional poverty is highest (81.4% poor) among Scheduled Tribes within

India's Hindu population, followed by Scheduled Castes (65.8%), Other Backward Class
(58.3%) and finally the general population (33.3%).

There is significant variation between the poverty incidence in various states as per the
MPI and as per the Indian Planning Commission's official figures. Based on the MPI,
Bihar has by far the most poor of any state in the country, with 81.4% of its population
defined as poor, which is close to 12% more than the next worst state of Uttar Pradesh.

As per the Planning Commission's figures, 41.4% of Bihar and 32.8% of UP is poor. In a
possible indication of inadequate access to health and education facilities which do not
show up in income poverty, almost 60% of north-east India and close to 50% of Jammu
& Kashmir are poor as per the MPI, while the Planning Commission figures are around
16% and 5% respectively.

The findings would provide further ballast to the argument of some economists that
India's official poverty estimation methods are too narrowly focused to capture the real
extent of deprivation in the country.

Read more: 55% of India's population poor: Report - The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/55-of-Indias-population-poor-
Report/articleshow/6169549.cms#ixzz17oTkbPGF