The government had constituted an Empowered Action Group (EAG) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare following 2001 census to stabilise population in eight states (called EAG states) that were lagging in containing population. As per the latest census, EAG states Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha have shown little improvement. They cover over 45 per cent of India’s population.