Education and Family Welfare Planning: Rural Areas Around Calcutta

This book is based on data collected from a household sample survey in rural West Bengal. It provides unbiased micro-level information about main caste/religion groups upper caste Hindus, scheduled caste Hindus, other Hindus and Muslims Some of the salient points about this aspect are as follows: (a) 57% Literacy percentage of boys and 39% of girls in the age group 15-19 years in 1981 census indicate that educational expansion in 1991 of the state may fall short of expectations. (b) High percentage of scheduled caste Hindus in the population is found as labourers. (c ) Muslim couples show higher family size compared to other social groups in every age-group. Though Muslims are opposed to terminal family planning methods, they practise conventional family planning methods as Hindus do with the rise of education levels of their wives. (d) Health assistants or auxiliary nurse-cum-midwives (ANMs) are not of much use in educating rural wives on family welfare planning Visit of lady health visitors made impact regarding acceptance of family planning methods. (e) Vasectomy as a family planning method is less popular and practice of conventional contraceptives is increasing with the increase of educational level of wives.