Chhattisgarh, also termed as a new state, came into being on November 1, 2000. The state covers an area of 135,194 square kilometers. It is equivalent to almost sixteen times the size of Kerala and has a low population density. There are 16 districts in the state. The state has a population of 208 lakh people. Chhattisgarh`s capital is Raipur and the High Court of the state is located at Bilaspur. Fifty per cent of the total population belongs to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. The tribals are mostly situated in the thick forest areas that are in the northern and southern parts of the state. Bastar is known world over for its unique and distinctive tribal heritage. Female literacy has doubled in the last decade whereas male literacy is higher than India`s average. On having a cursory look at the facts it is noticed that literacy rate is as high as 81.3 per cent of the population above 19 years. Gender ratio is next only to Kerala. With a population of over two crore people, Chhattisgarh`s sex ratio of 990 is the highest in the country after Kerala and well above the national average of 933. Infant mortality is high – 84 deaths per thousand live births against the national average of 71%. 41% of the women work as labourers whereas the national average is just 22.3%. About half of its female population gets married between the ages of 15 and 19. As far as agriculture is concerned Chhattisgarh is known the `rice-bowl` as it is self-sufficient in rice production and it supplies food grain to 600 rice mills. However, efforts are on to change the existing mono-crop pattern and introduce a multi-crop system. And it is for this very reason a comprehensive irrigation policy was framed when the state was created. 12% of India`s forests are in Chhattisgarh, and 44% of the state`s land is under forests. Identified as one of the richest bio-diversity habitats, the green state of Chhattisgarh has the densest forests in India with a rich wildlife cover. Above all, there are over 200 non-timber forest products with tremendous potential for value addition. The newly formed state is the richest state in mineral resources with 28 varieties of major minerals. It has rich deposits of limestone, iron-ore, copper-ore, rock phosphate, manganese ore, bauxite, coal, asbestos, mica and diamonds in abundance. There are mega industries in steel, aluminum and cement. It contains about 525 million tonnes of dolomite reserves, accounting for 24 per cent of the country`s share. It has healthy bauxite reserves of an estimated 73 million tonnes, impressive reserves of iron ore at about 2,000 million tonnes and coal at 29,000 million tonnes. Tin ore reserves exceed 27,000 million tonnes. The mineral revenue that will accrue to Chhattisgarh will exceed Rs 600 crore annually. Deobogh in Raipur district contains deposits of diamonds. Chhattisgarh also accounts for more than 70 per cent of India`s total production of tendu leaves that are used for making bidis. In the field of higher education there are many medical and agricultural colleges. There are more than 30,000 primary schools in rural areas, particularly in the underdeveloped tribal belts. Several hundred students from the state qualify for admissions in prestigious academic institutions every year. Bhilai, the knowledge capital of the state, alone sends over 50 students to the elite Indian Institutes of Technology every year. A unique Private Universities Act has been passed to attract investments in quality higher-education. Chhattisgarh ranks high in terms of good industrial relations and labour productivity. There are several industrial towns such as Bhilai, Bilaspur and Durg. Apart from regular industrial estates, large tracts of land have been reserved and earmarked in various districts for mega-projects. The industrial policy of Chhattisgarh is based on an in-depth study of the industrial policies of the developed States of India. Provision has been made for special capital subsidy for small- and medium-scale industries. Its large power surplus is attracting power-intensive industries, and the state is poised to become the power-hub of the nation. Its central location helps easy power transmission to any part of the country. The state is supplying power to Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka, among others. There is a massive power project setup under the aegis of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Ironically, 68% of the households do not have an electricity connection (though it produces more power than it consumes; Chhattisgarh contributes 35.66% of total power generated in Madhya Pradesh. The city of Bhilai with its modern and cosmopolitan lifestyle is just 30 km from Raipur, the state capital. A new world-class capital city is to come up near Raipur`s airport. Raipur is at the centre of rail and road routes between Mumbai and Kolkata and is well connected to Delhi and Chennai. Bilaspur`s Railway Division is the most profitable railway operation in the country, contributing to about 17% of the revenues of Indian Railways. There are many virgin, unexplored tourism destinations in Chhattisgarh. Tourism policy of the state basically highlights and promotes cultural, pilgrim, wildlife, adventure and eco-tourism. With 12% share of India’s forests, Chhattisgarh’s 3 National Parks and 11 Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks are a major attraction. State administration has identified and is developing ethnic villages and private sector is encouraged for proper maintenance and professional site management of important heritage sites/monuments. More so, the state encourages investments in establishment of business-cum-recreation centres to cater to the needs of business travellers. State-of-the-art convention centres, seminar halls etc for corporate events are being encouraged. However, in spite of its abundant natural resources and manpower pool, Chhattisgarh remains a poverty stricken and socially backward region.