Abstract
Primary data for 1,000 households, 500 each sampled from Rupnagar and Patiala districts of Punjab showed that contrary to the popular notion, SCs and STs did not overall display much difference in terms of access to reproductive health services. The overall favourable picture seems to be linked to the fact that the social gap between the non-SCs and SCs is not as wide in Punjab as in other parts of India, maybe in part due to the egalitarian influence of Sikhism. Some concerns do however remain. Punjab, despite having highest per capita income in the country, is not comfortably placed on the count of maternal mortality. The challenge can be met only by further strengthening the reproductive health services in the State.
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