National Population Policy (NPP) 2000 is noteworthy in that it transcends purely demographic concerns and aims at the overriding objective of economic and social development to improve the standard of living of the people of India. As there are substantial differences between States and within States among districts in the matter of social and economic development, the programme of action for achieving the immediate objectives of addressing the unmet needs for contraception, health care infrastructure, health personnel and provision of other essential services for improving the quality of life of the people has to be concentrated in the identified backward districts.

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Though the NCP had earlier selected 13 key indicators (which were relevant and available) at the district level for identifying the demographically sensitive districts using the 1991 Census data, meanwhile the preliminary results of Census 2001 were released in March, 2001. This along with the resolution adopted at the conference of District Magistrate convened by the NCP in April, 2001 regarding the key indicators having a bearing on fertility made it necessary to revise the ranking of districts using latest data. The indicators adopted at the DM’s Conference for monitoring purpose are the following: 

1. Percentage decadal population growth rate
2. Total Fertility Rate
3. Percentage of current user of family planning methods
4. Percentage of Girls marrying below 18 years of Age
5. Sex ratio
6. Percentage of women receiving skilled attention during deliveries
7. Percentage of Children getting complete immunization
8. Literacy rate male-female
9. Percentage of villages not connected with pucca road
10. Percentage coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation
11. (a) Percentage of Birth registered
    (b) Percentage of Deaths registered
    (c) Percentage of Marriage registered
12. Child mortality up to age of 2
13. Maternal Mortality Rate
14. Nutritional status of children below 6 years
15. Enrolment of children in schools up to the age of 14 and the rate of dropouts

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However, district level data in respect of Percentage of Marriages registered, Child mortality up to age of 2, Maternal Mortality Rate, Nutritional status of children below 6 years, Enrolment of children in schools up to the age of 14 and the rate of dropouts are still not available. Therefore, the ranking and mapping of 569 districts of the country have been done for a composite index and separately for each of the following 12 indicators: 

1. Percentage decadal population growth rate
2. Percentage of births of order 3 and above (in place of Total Fertility Rate)
3. Percentage of current user of family planning methods
4. Percentage of Girls marrying below 18 years of Age
5. Sex ratio
6. Percentage of women receiving skilled attention during deliveries
7. Percentage of Children getting complete immunization
8. Female Literacy Rate
9. Percentage of villages not connected with pucca road (estimated)
10. Percentage coverage of safe drinking water (estimated)
11. (a) Percentage of Birth registered (estimated)
    (b) Percentage of Death registered (estimated)