NEW DELHI: India recorded more than 441,000 crimes against women in 2024, according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), as a series of recent sexual assault cases has renewed attention on violence against women in the country.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data.
Police registered 441,534 cases of crimes against women during 2024, according to the NCRB’s Crime in India 2024 report.
The figures cover crimes reported to police and therefore do not necessarily represent the full scale of violence against women. Researchers and rights groups have long pointed to under-reporting of sexual violence because of stigma, social pressure and concerns about approaching the authorities.
India recorded 29,536 rape cases during the year. Rajasthan reported the highest number among states, with 4,871 cases, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 3,209, Maharashtra with 3,091 and Madhya Pradesh with 3,061.
There were also 48,303 cases of assault on women with intent to outrage their modesty, 15,346 cases of sexual harassment and 9,865 stalking cases, according to the NCRB. The country recorded 5,737 dowry deaths during the year.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest overall number of crimes against women among India’s states, with 66,396 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 47,954 and Rajasthan with 36,536.
Rape cases in India
The latest figures come as authorities investigate a series of sexual assaults.
On Tuesday, India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that it had taken suo motu cognisance of the reported gang rape of a 16-year-old girl by a bus driver and conductor in Greater Noida, in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the NHRC, the girl boarded the bus on August 4 after mistakenly getting off at Pari Chowk while travelling to Noida’s Sector 63. The bus driver and conductor sexually assaulted her before leaving her at Kashmere Gate bus terminal in Delhi.
Also Read: Teen Gang-Raped on Moving Bus in India
The NHRC issued notices to the police commissioners of Delhi and Gautam Budh Nagar and the superintendent of police in Mainpuri.
The commission said the incident raised serious human rights concerns.
Sexual violence remains a recurring issue
The latest case has added to wider concern over sexual violence in India.
In June, thousands of people took part in protests in Nagaland after a series of sexual assaults. Protesters called for justice and an end to social stigma surrounding victims.
Women’s rights advocates cited victim-blaming, social pressure and lack of confidence in authorities as factors contributing to under-reporting.
A high-profile rape and murder in Kolkata in 2024 also triggered weeks of protests by doctors and others demanding greater protection for women and faster justice.
The 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi remains another landmark case in India’s debate over sexual violence.
The attack prompted mass protests and led to changes in sexual-assault laws.
Despite the legal changes, the NCRB data show that hundreds of thousands of cases of violence against women continue to be reported each year.
