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 Honorary Professor  visaria@gidr.ac.in, lvisaria@gmail.com
Leela Visaria |   Ph.D. (Sociology)
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Leela Visaria holds Ph.D from Princeton University and is a former Professor and Director of GIDR. Currently she is an Honorary Professor at the Institute.
Her research interests include historical demography as well as field-based studies on problems of health, family planning, education and demographic transition. Her articles have appeared in several scholarly journals. She has been a co-author of a book Contraceptive Use and Fertility in India: A Case Study of Gujarat (Sage Publications, New Delhi, 1995) and of India in the 21st Century along with Tim Dyson and Robert Cassen, both of London School of Economics (Oxford University Press, 2004). She has co-edited (with John Simons and Peter Berman) Maternal Education and Child Survival: Pathways and Evidence (Vikas Publishing House, Delhi, 1997); Abortion in India: Ground Reality (jointly with Vimala Ramachandran), New Delhi, Routledge, 2007; and Midwifery & Maternal Health in India: Situation Analysis & Lessons from the Field, CMHS Monograph No. 1, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, 2010.

During 1994-2008, she served as a coordinator of a network of non ‘governmental organisations (NGOs) and researchers, known as HealthWatch, which engaged in dialogue with policy makers, donors, researchers and activists on various gender-sensitive population and health policy issues. Beginning March 2008 she was awarded National Professorship for two years by Indian Council for Social Science Research, which is a parent body of all social science research institutes in India. Having been elected as the President of Asian Population Association for 2009-2010, she organized the first international conference of the Association in New Delhi during November 2010.


  • Title: Indias Family Planning Programme: Policies, Practices and Challenges
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Rajani R. Ved
    Publisher: Routledge, New Delhi.
    Published Year: 2016
  • Title: Midwifery and Maternal Health in India: Situation Analysis and Lessons from the Field
    Editor: Leela Visaria
    Publisher: Center for Management in Health Services, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
    Published Year: 2010
  • Title: Twenty-first Century India: Population, Economy, Human Development, and the Environment.
    Editors: Tim Dyson, Robert Cassen and Leela Visaria
    Publisher: Oxford University Press, New Delhi.
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: Maternal Education and Child Survival: Pathways and Evidences.
    Editors: Leela Visaria, J. Simons and Peter Berman.
    Publisher: Vikas Publishing House Private Ltd., New Delhi.
    Published Year: 1997
  • Title: Contraceptive Use and Fertility in India.
    Authors: Pravin Visaria, Leela Visaria and Anrudh Jain
    Publisher: Sage Publications, New Delhi.
    Published Year: 1995
  • Title: 'Health Training Programme for Adolescent Girls: Some Lessons from India's NGO Initiative, Journal of Health Management 19 (1), pages 97-108. (UGC CARE GROUP – II).
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Rudra Narayan Mishra
    Published Year: 2017
  • Title: `Two-Child Norm: Victimizing the Vulnerable?', Economic and Political Weekly, 41(1):41-48.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2006
  • Title: `Sex-Selective Abortion in the States of Gujarat and Haryana: Some Empirical Evidence', In Leela Visaria and Vimala Ramachandran (eds.), Abortion in India: Ground Realties, Sage Publications, New Delhi.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2006
  • Title: `Mortality Trends and the Health Transition'. In Twenty First Century India: Population, Environment and Human Development, edited by Tim Dyson, Robert Cassen and Leela Visaria. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 32-56.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: `The Continuing Fertility Transition'. In Twenty First Century India: Population, Environment and Human Development, edited by Tim Dyson, Robert Cassen and Leela Visaria. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 57-73.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: `Abortion in India: Emerging Issues from Qualitative Studies', Economic and Political Weekly, 39(46&47):5044-5052.
    Authors: Leela Visaria, Vimala R, Bela G and Shveta K
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: `Twenty-First Century India, Population, Economy, Human Development and the Environment' (Edited Jointly with Tim Dyson, Robert Cassen) Oxford University Press
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: `Engendering The Indian Census'. In Engendering Population Census in South and West Asia: Collected Papers, edited by Wasim Zaman and Rafiqul Huda Chudhury. Nepal: UNFPA Country Technical Services Team, 79-94.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: `Education and Literacy'. In Twenty First Century India: Population, Environment and Human Development, edited by Tim Dyson, Robert Cassen and Leela Visaria. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 130-57.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2004
  • Title: 'India's Population: Its Growth and Key Characteristics',  in The Oxford India Companion to Sociology and Social Anthropology, Volume 1, edited by Veena Das. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 184-218.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Pravin Visaria
    Published Year: 2003
  • Title: 'Long-Term Population Projections for Major States, 1991-2101', Economic and Political Weekly, 38(45):4763-76.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Pravin Visaria
    Published Year: 2003
  • Title: 'The Missing Girls',  Seminar, 532:24-9.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2003
  • Title: 'Issues in Rural Sanitation: Lessons from Gujarat', Journal of Rural Development, 21(1): 1-26.
    Authors: Keshab Das and Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2002
  • Title: 'Education and Health in Souht Asia: What Do We Know?', Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 17(4): 83-96.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2002
  • Title: 'Many a Slip Between Slap and Lip', The Little Magazine, 3 (4): 40-3.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 2002
  • Title: 'Unmet Need for Family Planning in Gujarat: A Qualitative Exploration.' Economic and Political Weekly, 32(17): WS29-WS36.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 1997
  • Title: 'Emerging Issues in Reproductive Health.' Economic and Political Weekly 32(36): 2244-47.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and V.Ramachandran
    Published Year: 1997
  • Title: 'Son Preference and Excess Female Mortality in India's Demographic Transition',  in Sex Preference for Children and Gender Discrimination in Asia, edited. Seoul: Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and M.D.Gupta
    Published Year: 1996
  • Title: 'Goals and Modalities for Research',  Seminar, 447:24-25.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 1996
  • Title: 'Regional Variations in Female Autonomy and Fertility and Contraception in India',  in Girls Schooling, Women's Autonomy and Fertility Change in South Asia, edited by Roger Jeffery and Alka M. Basu. New Delhi: Sage Publications.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 1996
  • Title: 'India's Population in Transition',  Population Bulletin, 50(3):1-51.
    Authors: Pravin Visaria and Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 1995
  • Title: and Determinants." In Indian Economy since Independence, edited by Uma Kapila. Delhi: Academic Foundation.
    Authors: Pravin Visaria and Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 1995
  • Title: 'Estimates of Contraceptive Prevalence Based on Service Statistics and Surveys in Gujarat State, India', Studies in Family Planning, 25(5): 293-303.
    Authors: Leela Visaria, Pravin Visaria and A. Jain
    Published Year: 1994
  • Title: 'Demographic Transition: Accelerating Fertility Decline in 1980s',  Economic and Political Weekly, 29(51-52): 3281-92.
    Authors: Pravin Visaria and Leela Visaria
    Published Year: 1994
  • Title: Health Training Programme for Adolescent Girls:Lessons from India's NGO Initiative
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Rudra Narayan Mishra
    Working Paper No.: 229
    Published Year and Month: October 2015
  • Title: Medical Abortion: Some Exploratory Findings from Gujarat
    Authors: Leela Visaria, Alka Barua and Ramkrishna Mistry.
    Working Paper No.: 166
    Published Year and Month: January 2006
  • Title: Issues in Rural Sanitation: Lessons from Gujarat.
    Authors: Keshab Das and Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 98
    Published Year and Month: December 1998
  • Title: The Unmet Need for Family Planning: An Analysis of Panel Data from Rural Gujarat.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 85
    Published Year and Month: December 1997
  • Title: Quality of Health Care in India: The Perspective of Female Health Workers.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 78
    Published Year and Month: December 1996
  • Title: Prospective Population Growth And Policy Options For India, 1991-2101.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Pravin Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 75
    Published Year and Month: December 1996
  • Title: Accelerating Fertility Transition in India During the 1980s: Trends and Determinants.
    Authors: Pravin Visaria and Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 66
    Published Year and Month: December 1995
  • Title: Total Literacy Campaign in Gandhinagar District, 1991: An Evaluation.
    Authors: Leela Visaria, Anil Gumber and B.L. Kumar
    Working Paper No.: 51
    Published Year and Month: December 1993
  • Title: Regional Variations in Female Autonomy and Fertility Behaviour in India.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 50
    Published Year and Month: December 1993
  • Title: School Enrolment, Attendance, Drop-Outs and Literacy in Western India: Some Data on Level and Determinants.
    Authors: Pravin Visaria, Anil Gumber and Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 41
    Published Year and Month: December 1992
  • Title: Consistency between Estimates of Contraceptive Prevalence Rates Based on Service Statistics and Surveys in Gujarat State, India.
    Authors: Leela Visaria, Pravin Visaria and Anrudh Jain
    Working Paper No.: 42
    Published Year and Month: December 1992
  • Title: Impact of Family Planning Programme Inputs on Use of Contraceptives in Gujarat State, India.
    Authors: Anrudh Jain, Leela Visaria, Pravin Visaria and V.P. Shah
    Working Paper No.: 43
    Published Year and Month: December 1992
  • Title: Quality of Service and Family Planning in Gujarat State, India: An Exploratory Analysis.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Pravin Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 34
    Published Year and Month: December 1991
  • Title: Growth of Children in a Drought Affected Rural Area in Gujarat: Some Results of a Longitudinal Study.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Jyoti Anandjiwala
    Working Paper No.: 17
    Published Year and Month: December 1988
  • Title: Two Immunization Campaigns in a Rural Area of Kachchh, Gujarat: An Assessment.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 19
    Published Year and Month: December 1988
  • Title: Prospective Changes in the Age and Gender Structure of India's Population and Their Socio-Economic Implications.
    Authors: Leela Visaria and Pravin Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 6
    Published Year and Month: December 1987
  • Title: Sex Differentials in Nutritional Status in a Rural Area of Gujarat State: An Interim Report.
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 7
    Published Year and Month: December 1987
  • Title: Demography of the Indian Youth
    Author: Leela Visaria
    Working Paper No.: 4
    Published Year and Month: December 1986
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