New Delhi: India’s women faced a harrowing reality in 2023, with 31,982 rape cases registered, part of a staggering 4.48 lakh crimes against them – a slight uptick from 4.45 lakh in 2022 and 4.28 lakh in 2021, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released on earlier this week.
Drawing from police data across states and Union Territories, these figures paint a grim portrait: a national crime rate of 66.2 per lakh women, with charge-sheeting at 77.6%. Among them, 83,891 assaults to outrage modesty (12.4 per lakh) and 29,670 rapes (4.4 per lakh) underscore the pervasive threat.
Maharashtra topped rape incidents with 3,970 cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh (3,619), Tamil Nadu (2,999), Delhi (2,278), and Bihar (1,818). Uttar Pradesh led overall crimes against women at 66,381, trailed by Maharashtra (47,101), Rajasthan (45,450), West Bengal (34,691), and Madhya Pradesh (32,342).
A stark comparison with the UPA era (2004-2014) reveals escalation: Cases ballooned from 16,075 in 2004 (1.5 per lakh rate) to 36,735 in 2014 (6.5 per lakh), a 128% surge averaging 25,000 annually —totaling over 2.5 lakh. Post-2014 NDA regime, numbers held at 36,735 that year, but the trend persists.
In response, the government has fortified safeguards. The 2018 Criminal Law Amendment Act toughened penalties: death for raping girls under 12 and a minimum of 20 years to life for gang rapes. Conviction rates climbed from 27-28% (2018-2022) to 54% in 2023. The Nirbhaya Fund disbursed over ₹7,000 crore (2014-2023), birthing 700+ Sakhi One-Stop Centres for medical, legal, and psychological aid, plus the 181 Women Helpline nationwide. Initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao boosted gender awareness, while 700 fast-track courts since 2019 aim for 90-day trials in rape and POCSO cases. Urban strides include CCTV and women police booths in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.
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