Coverage of the Study

The target population of the survey was the total population in the country, with states and urban/rural categories as sub-populations or target groups. However, the survey was undertaken in 23 major Stats/Union Territories of India covering both rural and urban areas of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.  The remaining States and Union Territories which were excluded are excluded mainly due to operational difficulty. However, these areas account for nearly 3 to 4 per cent only towards country's total population.