Synopsis Increasing inter-State disparities across India have received some attention. What can be done to ensure that the trickle down benefits of growth percolate to all regions, and the backward areas are not bypassed? But while policy intervention is indeed needed to tackle the problems of poverty and deprivation, indentification of backward regions needs to go beyond State boundaries.The attempt in this volume is to take this identification down to the level of the districts and identification is pegged of the Millennium Development Goals and is based on six indicators-income poverty (poverty ratios), hunger, infant mortality rate, immunization, literacy rate and enrollment ratios. In addition, gender disparity is highlighted through female and male literacy rates, but not actually used in the process of identifying backwardness. Data used are estimates for 2001. A list of 69 backward districts is thrown up-26 in Bihar, 13 in UP, 10 in Jharkhand, 10 in Orissa, 6 in MP, 3 in Arunachal and 1 in Karnataka. These are India's mostdisadvantaged districts and the most backward. Geographically, they are contiguous to another 70-odd districts that are also fairly backward.