The infant mortality rate, IMR, has shown a decline in the country compared to the previous year. It has come down to 47 deaths per thousand in 2010 as against 50 deaths per thousand in year 2009.

According to a data released by the Registrar General of India for 2010, a drop of two points IMR in the rural and three points in urban area have been recorded.

Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have maximum decline with five points in the IMR. The states including Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya had shown a four-point decline.

On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh have a three-point decline.

While states including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, IMR ,came down by two points. However it increased by one point in Kerala, Mizoram and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Health Secretary P.K. Pradhan said that if the trend continues, the country will be able to achieve the target of Millennium Development Goals by 2015.