State shows dip in infant mortality

 While the country recorded a three point decrease in its national average from 53 in 2008 to 50 in 2009. 

According to the data released by the Registrar General of India, the IMR in rural areas has also dropped by three points from 58 to 55 deaths per 1,000 births. The lowest IMR was recorded in Goa with 11 infant deaths per 1,000 births, followed by Kerala with 12 such deaths.

Some states with higher IMR like Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar have registered a drop of four points. Orissa recorded a dip in IMR from 69 to 65 while it is 67 to 63 in Uttar Pradesh, 59 to 63 in Rajasthan, 56 to 52 in Bihar and 49 to 45 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Daman and Diu have registered the maximum drop of seven points from 31 IMR in 2008 to 24 in 2009, followed by six points in Lakshadweep (31 to 25).

The data is based on the Sample Registration System (SRS), a large-scale demographic survey for providing reliable annual estimates of birth and death rates and other fertility and morality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.

The SRS sample is replaced every ten years based on the latest census frame.