evidence: The pregnant women in the current study were evaluated retrospectively for 1,383,278 person-months. Overall at least one ANC checkup was assessed by 60.15% of women and the median survival time for the first ANC checkup was found to be 4 months as in Table 2. Around one-quarter of pregnant women booked ANC services within the first trimester at the national level (Fig. 2). [...] Among the women’s age, the highest ANC visits was seen by women in the age group of 15–24 years. Similarly by higher educated women (79%), women residing in urban areas (70%), women belonged to rich quintile families (74%), and those who have exposure to mass media (74.30%). The EAG plus Assam states shows the lowest utilisation in ANC visits as compared to southern and others states (Table 2). Furthermore, it also represents the median survival time for ANC checkups among women by background characteristics. Among women in the age group of 15–24 years, first antenatal care was received after 4 months whereas for women aged 35–49 first ANC was taken in 5 months. The median survival time for antenatal checkups for women with higher educational qualifications was as early as 3 months, whereas for women with no formal education it was as late as 9 months. Women residing in urban areas had their checkups within 3 months, on the contrary in the rural regions it was found to be 5 months. The first antenatal care was within the first trimester for mothers with richer wealth quintile and it was late as at 9 months for poorer wealth index.