Female sterilisation is the mainstay of contraceptive methods in India. Every year over four million female sterilisation operations are conducted in the country. Like all surgical procedures, female sterilisation, despite being a relatively low-risk procedure, has its attendant risk and failure rates. According to international authorites, the failure rate, i.e. the chance of becoming pregnant after the operation is around one in 200, the rate of complication around one in 100, and the risk of death around three in 100,000 procedures.