Abstract: Reducing maternal mortality has been a constant struggle globally. Although developed regions have shown a steep decline in maternal deaths, developing world still continues to contribute inordinately to the total maternal deaths. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) ‘five’ focused on reducing maternal mortality and achieving universal access to reproductive health care. In lieu of that, India has made extensive efforts to achieve the same, which are visible through the sharp increase in the rate of institutional births (NFHS 4), but the concurrent high incidences of maternal mortality present a contradictory picture of the nation’s progress in improving maternal health.