A Study of the Prevalence of Mental Retardation in Southern India

A systematic survey of the prevalence of mental retardation is imperative for setting up services for the mentally retarded. For this purpose data have to be collected not just at mental retardation clinics and at special training schools or residential centers for the mentally retarded but also from the general population. In most developed countries there are registers of the mentally retarded, and one can get much information by searching agency records; but in a developing country such as India, where services for the mentally retarded are still in a formative stage, population surveys are essential.