Socio-economic profile of rural India c.1

One of the major objectives of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, which imparts training to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, is not only to sensitize them towards the plight of rural people, but also to equip them with an in-depth understanding of rural issues. The IAS officer trainees are required to prepare a village study report as a part of their district assignments after conducting extensive questionnaire-based household survey. This four-volume series of Socio-Economic Profile of Rural India is based on the village study reports of IAS trainees. Volume one on South India, published in the year 2002, contains papers of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Volume two on North-East India, published in the year 2004, covers the states of Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland. Volume three on North-Central and Western India, published in the year 2005, contains papers of the States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra.The present volume on Eastern India, having study reports of the States of Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh, addresses issues like demographic features, socio-cultural aspects, health, gender, agrarian relationship, economic reforms, rural poverty and priorities and thrust areas.