The Hindu, Sep 30, 2025

Key Arguments

1. Overall Decline in Crimes Against Women
   ○ Reported crimes against women fell by 5.7% in 2023 compared to 2022 (from 3.20 lakh to 3.06 lakh cases).
   ○ Delhi continues to top as the most unsafe city for women, recording 13,489 cases in 2023.

2. Persistent Rise in Overall Crimes
   ○ Total IPC crimes rose by 7.5% (from 32 lakh in 2022 to 34.4 lakh in 2023).
   ○ Street crimes, theft, burglary, and kidnapping remain on the rise.

3. Breakdown of Women-Related Crimes
   ○ Rape cases declined by 2.2% (31,516 in 2023 vs. 32,172 in 2022).
   ○ Dowry deaths declined by 1.2%.
   ○ Assault with intent to outrage modesty rose by 0.2%.
   ○ Child sexual abuse under POCSO rose marginally.

4. Delhi’s Alarming Status
   ○ Delhi remains India’s most unsafe city for women for the third consecutive year.
   ○ Accounts for over 30% of all urban crimes against women.
   ○ Cybercrime against women showed a sharp rise in Delhi.

5. Road Accident Deaths (Separate NCRB Finding)
   ○ Delhi topped the list of fatal road accidents in 2023, with 1,633 deaths.
   ○ Causes include high concentration of vehicles and poor road discipline.

Author’s Stance

● Critical and cautionary stance.
● Highlights that the decline in women-related crimes may reflect underreporting, not genuine safety improvements.
● Stresses Delhi’s persistent governance failures by linking women’s safety with road safety data.

Possible Biases

● Urban-centric lens – Excessive focus on Delhi, limited rural or small-city analysis.
● Quantitative reliance – Heavy dependence on NCRB data without addressing underreporting.
● Narrative tilt – Delhi portrayed as worst-case scenario, overlooking state-level improvements.

Pros

● Data-backed analysis using NCRB reports enhances credibility.
● Highlights both positive trends (crime decline) and negative concerns (Delhi’s unsafe status, rise in street crimes).
● Integrates women’s safety and road safety into a broader governance critique.

Cons

● Limited exploration of structural reasons for crime decline (laws, awareness, reforms).
● Underreporting concerns not deeply addressed.
● No long-term (decadal) trend comparison for context.
● Road accident data included abruptly, less integrated with women’s safety narrative.

Policy Implications

1. For Governance (GS Paper II – Polity & Social Justice):
○ Strengthen policing, community surveillance, and women’s safety schemes like Nirbhaya Fund.
○ Ensure accountability in urban governance, with Delhi as a test case.

2. For Internal Security & Disaster Management (GS Paper III):
○ Road safety reforms – strict traffic law enforcement, better urban planning.
○ Integrate accident reduction strategies within broader internal security measures.

3. For Ethics & Society (GS Paper IV):
○ Gender justice and ethical governance in protecting vulnerable groups.
○ Behavioral change campaigns to reshape public attitudes.

Real-World Impact

● Optimism vs. Reality – Decline in NCRB crime data may create optimism, but Delhi’s unsafe status erodes public trust.
● Governance failures – Road accident crisis further underlines weak law enforcement.
● Citizen trust – Both women’s safety and road safety are indicators of effective state capacity.

Balanced Summary and Future Perspectives

While NCRB data shows a 5.7% decline in crimes against women in 2023, Delhi continues to dominate unsafe city rankings, raising questions on actual safety improvements. The persistence of fatal road accidents further reflects systemic governance failures. Policymakers must move beyond numbers and address underreporting, weak institutions, and accountability gaps.

Future Outlook:

● Data reforms – Introduce qualitative surveys alongside NCRB figures.
● Technology integration – AI-based predictive policing, CCTV, and emergency response apps.
● Urban safety planning – Safer public spaces, transport hubs, and strict traffic enforcement.
● Behavioral campaigns – Gender sensitisation, civic sense, and road discipline reforms.