Representative photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
In Jammu and Kashmir’s private hospitals, nine out of every ten babies born arrived by Caesarean section — the highest private-sector C-section rate anywhere in India, according to newly analysed data from the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6). West Bengal follows at 87.7%, and Telangana at 83.9% — all three States running far above the national private-sector average of 54.1%.
Medical experts attribute the increase in C-sections in India to a combination of more institutional deliveries, improved detection of high-risk pregnancies, increasing maternal age and medical complications, greater use of assisted reproductive technologies, previous C-sections, and the rapid growth of private sector obstetric care, where scheduled deliveries, convenience, maternal preference in some cases, and financial incentives also contribute to a higher rate of C-section deliveries.
Published – July 11, 2026 12:50 pm IST