India Sees Alarming Increase in Crimes Against Women and Missing Girls: Latest Statistics
India is facing a distressing rise in crimes against women and a significant number of missing girls, according to the latest data. The figures, released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, depict a serious situation that demands immediate attention and action.
In the last five years, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Karnataka have emerged as the top three states with the highest number of missing girls. The data reveals that out of the staggering 2,75,125 children who went missing from January 2018 to June 2023, 2,12,825 were girls and 62,237 were boys. Madhya Pradesh stands out with the highest number of missing girls and missing children overall, reporting 49,024 missing girls out of 61,102 children reported missing in the Lok Sabha. West Bengal follows closely with 49,129 missing children, including 41,808 girls, while Karnataka reports 27,528 missing children, out of which 18,893 are girls. Other states such as Gujarat, Delhi, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh also have significant numbers of missing girls.
Although 240,502 of the missing children were successfully found, the numbers are still concerning. The data underlines the urgent need for greater emphasis on the protection of girls in the country, despite initiatives like the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. Professor Shanta Sinha, former head of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, emphasizes the importance of continuous efforts to build knowledge, information, and awareness in order to strengthen the child protection system.
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has mentioned the development of the ‘TrackChild Portal,’ which facilitates tracking missing and found children. However, the issue of missing girls requires even greater attention and action to ensure the well-being of these vulnerable children.
In addition to missing girls, the data released by the NCRB also highlights a concerning increase in crimes against women in India. In 2021, there was a noticeable rise of 15.3% in crimes against women compared to the previous year, with an 8% surge in the number of incidents per 1 lakh population across the country.
A total of 4,28,278 cases of crime against women were reported in 2021, indicating an increase of 56,775 cases compared to the 3,71,503 cases registered in 2020. The rate of crime against women per 1 lakh population also escalated from 56.5% in 2020 to 64.5% in 2021. The data reveals that the highest number of cases fell under the category of Cruelty by husband or his relatives, followed by Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping and abduction, and rape.
When analyzing the crime rates against women by state, Assam recorded the highest rate in 2021, followed by Odisha, Haryana, Telangana, and Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of registered cases, followed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha. Nagaland reported the lowest number of cases and also had the lowest crime rate against women in 2021.
In terms of cities with a population of 2 million or more, Jaipur had the highest crime rate, followed by Delhi. Among these cities, Delhi recorded the highest number of cases.
The NCRB data also reveals a troubling number of incidents involving murder with gangrape or rape. Additionally, there were 28,000 cases of women, including 12,000 minors, being abducted in 2021 for forced marriages.
The data calls for immediate attention from authorities to address the alarming increase in crimes against women and missing girls in India. It is essential to implement comprehensive measures to ensure the safety and protection of women and girls across the country. This requires not only the development and implementation of effective systems but also a broader societal change that promotes gender equality and respects the dignity and rights of every individual.
