NCRB: Crime in India & ADSI Report 2024

UPSC GS Paper-II (Governance & Social Justice) and GS Paper-III (Internal Security).

1. Overall Crime Landscape:

• Decline in Conventional Crime: India saw a 6% decline in total cognisable crimes (58.86 lakh cases) compared to 2023.
• Crime Rate: Dropped from 448.3 to 418.9 per lakh population.
• Legal Framework: Cases were registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Special & Local Laws (SLL).

2. Emerging Security & Governance Challenges:

• Cybercrime Surge: Fastest-growing category; rose by 17.9% (over 1 lakh cases).
  • Leading Motive: Financial fraud accounted for 72.6% of cases.
  • Hotspots: Telangana (highest cases) and Karnataka.
• Economic Offences: Increased by 4.6%, dominated by Forgery, Cheating, and Fraud (FCF).
• Crimes Against the State: Rose by 6.6%, primarily under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and UAPA.

3. Social Vulnerabilities & Vulnerable Sections:

• Women’s Safety: Marginal decline in crime rate (66.2 to 64.6), but cruelty by relatives and kidnapping remain major issues.
• Marginalized Communities:
  • SC/ST: Registered cases declined (3.6% for SCs; 23.1% for STs), though this may reflect underreporting rather than improved social justice.
• Child Safety: Missing children cases rose by 7.8%, with a significant majority (over 75,000) being girls.
• Public Health: Drug overdose deaths spiked by 50%, with Tamil Nadu reporting the highest fatalities.

4. Social Distress & Mental Health (ADSI 2024):

• Total Suicides: 1,70,746 recorded deaths.
• Vulnerable Demographics:
  • Daily Wage Earners: Comprise 31% of total suicides.
  • Agricultural Sector: 10,546 suicides linked to agrarian distress.
  • Others: High numbers among homemakers, students, and the unemployed.

5. Key Institutional Gaps

• Investigation Burden: Massive pendency in cybercrime; over 1.2 lakh cases pending investigation.
• Judicial Delays: Low conviction rates and capacity constraints in forensic policing.

Way Forward for India:

1. Modernize Policing: Expand digital forensic capacities and interstate coordination to tackle cybercrime.
2. Judicial Reform: Fast-track economic and cyber offence trials to improve conviction rates.
3. Holistic Support: Strengthen mental health infrastructure and livelihood security to address suicide rates.
4. Community Safety: Enhance women’s helplines and child-tracking systems.