Profiles of states : March 1997

The volume presents a wealth of data originating in hundreds of sources. The information has been presented in an analytical framework to facilitate a quick appreciation of the changes over time and comparisons with the aggregates or averages. The first few pages present information on the key indicators to facilitate inter-state comparisons and the following pages provide a profile on each of the 17 major states of India.

Several relatively smaller states and Union Territories have not been covered in this volume. Their exclusion does not reflect their importance, but it does reflect the lack of sufficient information in the case of several of them. Besides, states such as Delhi, Goa and Sikkim have characteristics of a district or an urban agglomeration than of a state. Of the seven sisters of the north east, only Assam has been covered in the volume.

The presentation is interlaced with charts and maps. The maps denote the sub-regions, district boundaries and the transport infrastructure within a state. The maps are not necessarily to scale and the state and district boundaries are a schematic representation of the relative position of the regions. The objective in these presentations is to provide a flavour of the contours and connectivity within a state.