This book contains essays on wide range of topics which attempts to examine socio-economic and regional problems in a tribal dominated backward state like Orissa. At one level, this study could be seen as a continuation of the studies of rural, tribal and backward areas undertaken in 1950s. At the second level, this study could be seen as the first socio-economic study of the weaker sections of populations in terms of their weak resource base, their low position in social hierarchy, their relative lack of access to facilities provided by developmental programmes and their inadequate participation in institutions. Most of the weaker sections belong to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, Backward Castes and women residing in the rural, tribal and backward regions of Orissa. The materials being published have relevance today because the problems of the weaker sections and backward regions are still with us. While our weaker sections and backward regions continue to suffer from any disability, there has been change in the socio-economic environment and many of them have been able to assert themselves and moved forward.