NCRB REPORT AND SUICIDE RATE IN INDIA

Editorial . . . . . . . . 

The NCRB’s annual report on crime statistics, “Crime in India,” stated that levels pre-pandemic were reached in the registration of violent crimes such rape, kidnapping, atrocities against minors, robberies, and killings. Nevertheless, from 487.8 in 2020 to 445.9 in 2021, the overall crime rate (per one lakh people), declined. The most striking data set, however, came from the “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India” report, which revealed that India had experienced an all-time high in the number of suicide-related deaths. Daily wage employees were the largest percentage of suicide victims for the second year in a row, up from 42,004 in 2017 to 37,666 in 2020. The data also showed that “self-employed persons” experienced the highest rate of rising in suicide, rising 16.73% from 17,332 in 2020 to 20,231 in 2021. The most common factors for suicide were personal issues, including family issues, disease, relationships, and marriage. The increase in suicides, from 1,33,623 in 2015 to 1,64,033 in 2021—a startling 22% increase—has been alarming for almost five years now. Moving beyond macroeconomic measures like the GDP and concentrating on the pandemic’s broader effects on society are crucial as steps are taken to recover from the overall effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. The process of coming to terms with the fact that the COVID pandemic has caused a mental health crisis among low-income populations in the unorganized sector is an essential component of that process. The fact that there has been a 166% increase in suicide among daily wage workers between 2014 and 2021 indicates that working conditions for labourers in the unorganized sector have been worse over the previous ten years. Therefore, it is critical to comprehend the potential factors that may have been more serious during the COVID crisis and resulted in this spike. The two main categories of these reasons are social and economic. The virus’s danger and the decisions made to contain it led to a societal crisis. These choices have the unintended consequence of causing the economy. The level of worry and fear that the COVID outbreak’s early stages in 2020 provoked may not be well remembered by many now. There would inevitably be some psychological issues caused by this indiscriminately killing, invisible, and undefinable disease that also confined everyone to the safety inside, creating a sci-fi dystopia that was actually happening. People with formal employment still had some level of financial security because their incomes remained mostly unaffected by the pandemic, but those with unorganized employment saw the biggest effects. Most were compelled to live on their savings or take out loans due to their lack of income. A sizable portion of India’s population appears to have been left out of the growth story, and this class is undoubtedly suffering as a result. The end outcome of all these inflamed fault lines is the induction of frustration. Lack of development, passing up possibilities, losing one’s future, and observing stagnation in life all combine to produce an exhausted and despairing person who only seeks a way out. While those who can afford it can consult psychologists and receive pricey therapy, others who cannot afford it have no recourse for their mental health. Therefore, these victims’ handicaps must be acknowledged for any feasible solution. As a result, acknowledgment, reconstruction, and prevention should be the foundation of the strategy used to handle the current situation. Policy actions done thus far for those working in the unorganized sector have primarily focused on ensuring their survival. Consider concentrating on offering free food grain rations and vaccinations.

To address people’s ambitions and provide possibilities, nevertheless, is crucial as we work toward economic recovery. Inflation is a crisis that needs to be addressed right away, and it must be brought under control immediately in order to prevent the wealth of the lower socioeconomic strata from further eroding. Strong safety nets are therefore required for unorganized labour. One strategy might be something like unemployment insurance. It will also be vital to make sure that the required infrastructure and Standard Operating Procedures are in place to handle such emergencies, such as emergency food kits, travel arrangements, and loan forgiveness. Therefore, it is crucial that the NCRB data not be interpreted in isolation as that of crime or people with mental illnesses, but rather as a representation of the pervasive issues that our society faces.