National infant mortality rate reduces by 3 pts

• The national infant mortality rate has reduced by 3 points. During 2010, it dropped to 47 from 50 infants deaths per 1000 live births. As per the latest Sample Registration System bulletin of December 2011, released by the Registrar General of India it is noted that Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for rural areas has dropped by 4 points from 55 to 51 infant deaths per 1000 live births while the urban rate now stands at 31 from the previous 34 per 1000.
• An official release said that Goa has the lowest IMR of 10 infant deaths followed by Kerala with 13 infant deaths per 1000 live births. Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 62 per 1000 followed by UP and Odisha with 61 per 1000 IMR. Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Meghalaya still has IMRs more than the national average of 47.
• Sample Registration System is a large-scale demographic survey for providing reliable annual estimates of birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels. The field investigation consists of continuous enumeration of births and deaths in selected sample units.