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Data: While the total number of accidental deaths in 2021 is lower than in 2019, deaths due to road accidents are higher
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 9, 2022
As per NCRB’s ADSI-2021 report, the total number of accidental deaths in the country was 3.97 lakh in 2021, lower than the 4.21 lakh reported in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. However, the number of deaths due to road accidents in 2021 was 1.56 lakh compared to 1.55 lakh in 2019 and 1.33 lakh in 2020.
Accidents, by their very definition and nature, are unplanned events that result in harm. Several reasons ranging from human negligence to natural disasters which are beyond human means can result in accidents. Despite the unexpected nature of the accidents, efforts can be made to mitigate the occurrence or impact of an accident. Data related to the accidents can offer insights that could inform the necessary preventive steps to reduce the occurrence of these accidents.
The annual Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) reports published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) provide data on the recorded incidence of accidents in the country. Recently, the NCRB released the 55 edition of this report – ADSI 2021.
In the previous year i.e., 2020, there was a fall in the number of accidents. This was largely attributed to COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown measures, which restricted the movement of people. Despite a more severe second wave in 2021, the lockdown measures in 2021 were less stringent than in the earlier year. We look at the new trends in ‘Accidents in India’, based on the ADSI-2021 report.
Accidental Deaths increased in 2021, but still lower than pre-pandemic period
The information published in ADSI-2021 is a compilation of the information received from the States/UT Police. Hence the information is based only on the cases that are recorded by the police.
As per the 2021 report, there were 3.97 lakh accidental deaths in 2021, which is higher than 3.74 lakh deaths in 2020. As highlighted, there was a fall in the number of deaths in 2020 on account of COVID-19-related restrictions.  Even though the number of accidental deaths has increased in 2021, it is lower than the 4.21 lakh deaths in 2019. It ought to be noted there was a two-year increasing trend in the number of accidents before 2020.
If the data since 2011 is considered, the trend has been inconsistent with an increase followed by a decrease in the number of accidents in the subsequent year. Apart from the number of accidental deaths, the rate of accidental deaths provides better insights into the trends as it takes population into account.
The accidental Death rate is the number of accidental deaths per one lakh population. NCRB has projected the population for the year based on the 2011 census. In 2021, the Accidental death rate was 29.1 per Lakh population. In line with the increase in the number of accidental deaths, the rate has increased in 2021 compared to 2020 when it was 27.7 per lakh population. Despite the increase, the rate is lower than 30. Between 2011 & 2021, the rate of accidents was less than 30 only in 2020 & 2021.
Maharashtra & MP among the states with high number & Rate of Accidental Deaths
In 2021, Maharashtra reported the highest number of accidental deaths with 58.2 thousand, followed by Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh. Tamil Nadu & Karnataka in that order complete the top 5 states with the highest recorded Accidental deaths in 2021. These states are also among the largest in terms of size and population.
The rate of Accidental Deaths is a better parameter to compare as it normalises the number of deaths with the state’s population. This is particularly true in the case of UP, the country’s most populous state. Despite reporting the third highest number of accidental deaths in 2021, the rate is 15.8, which is among the lowest in the country. The same cannot be said about Maharashtra. Apart from being the state with the highest number of accidental deaths, the rate is also higher in Maharashtra with 46.7 deaths per lakh population.
Chhattisgarh has the highest rate of accidental deaths with 59.2. Despite a high rate, there is an improvement compared to 2020 when the rate was 68.6 deaths per 1 lakh population.  The other large states with a higher rate of accidental deaths include M.P, Odisha, Haryana & Kerala.
In terms of the number of accidental deaths, few of the more populous like Bihar & West Bengal reported comparatively fewer cases.
The trend in 2021 is similar to the trend in 2020, where Maharashtra and M.P have reported a high number of cases among the ones with a higher rate of accidental deaths.
Increase in the share of Traffic Accident-related Deaths
A major share of accidental deaths is usually due to Traffic Accidents. In 2021, there were 1.73 lakh deaths that were caused due to Traffic Accidents. This accounts for around 44% of the total accidental deaths for the year. In 2020, deaths due to Traffic Accidents accounted for around 39% of the total accidental deaths.
While the number of deaths due to other causes like ‘Sudden Death’, ‘Poisoning’ & ‘Falls’ has increased in 2021, their share in the total accidental deaths is lower than in 2020.  Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to ‘Drowning’ has reduced in 2021 compared to 2020.
There were 975 deaths of women during pregnancy in 2021, compared to 1.1 thousand in 2020. 1.6 thousand lives were lost due to the collapse of the structure, while 1.2 thousand were killed by Animals.
A significant change was in the case of deaths caused due to suffocation. In 2021, there were 1.2 thousand deaths due to Suffocation, which was more than 2 thousand in 2020. Meanwhile, deaths due to ‘Drug Overdose’ increased from 514 in 2020 to 737 in 2021.
The number of deaths whose causes are not known was 14.7 thousand in 2021, compared to more than 15 thousand deaths in 2020. Similarly, 40.4 thousand deaths were categorised as ‘Causes other than above’, which was 43.8 thousand in 2020.
The number of accidental deaths due to ‘Forces of Nature’ was lower in 2021 compared to 2020. In 2021, there were 7,126 such reported deaths, compared to 7405 in 2020.  Among them, the highest are the deaths due to Lightning. In 2021, there were 2880 such deaths. Further, 656 deaths were due to floods and 618 due to ‘Exposure to Cold’. Around 2 thousand deaths were caused due to natural causes, and are not categorised under any specific cause.
17% increase in the number of persons who died in Road Accidents
Among the 1.73 lakh traffic accident deaths recorded in 2021, 1.55 lakhs were due to road accidents. A total of 16.4 thousand people died in railway accidents while 1.8 thousand died in Roadways Crossing Accidents.
While the number of Railways Accident deaths was higher in 2021 compared to 2020, they are significantly lower than during the pre-pandemic period. Cancellation of Railways services during the pandemic and only a gradual opening of the services subsequently could be the reason for these numbers.
But the same cannot be said for Road Accidents. There is not only an increase in the number of deaths due to Road Accidents in 2021 compared to 2020, but the number is also higher than in the pre-pandemic years. At the same time, the number of road accidents was lower than in the pre-pandemic period.
Highest Number of Deaths due to Road Accidents in Uttar Pradesh & Tamil Nadu
14% of all road accident deaths in 2021 were in Uttar Pradesh. In 2021, there were 33.7 thousand cases of road accidents in Uttar Pradesh resulting in 19.8 thousand injured persons and 21.7 thousand deaths.  Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh have a comparatively higher number of road accident cases with 55.6 thousand and 48.2 thousand cases. But the fatalities are lower than in U.P with 15.3 thousand and 12.4 thousand respectively. In comparison, the fatality to accident ratio is higher in Maharashtra. A total of 13.9 thousand people were killed in Maharashtra in 25.6 thousand road accidents in 2021.
The ADSI-2021 data points to an increase in the number of accident-related deaths compared to 2020. This is expected due to the lower number reported in 2020 on account of the pandemic. However, the increase in road accident deaths even compared to the pre-pandemic period is a cause for concern.
Featured Image: Number of accidental deaths in India

created: September 9, 2022


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Data: Who is substituting the fall in Chinese imports of certain goods?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 1, 2020
The quantum of imports of certain goods from China has decreased in the last two years. However, the overall imports of these goods haven’t come down indicating that certain other countries have compensated for the fall of imports from China.
In an earlier story, we analysed India’s trade with China. The data indicates that even though China lost its position as India’s leading trade partner combined with the marginal decrease in the value of total imports from China, it continues to hold a dominant share in total value of imports.
A deeper analysis of the data reveals variances in the import trend of different goods. While there is a drastic fall in the case of a few goods, substantial increase is observed in the case of a few other goods.  In this story, we dig deeper into the import trends of some important goods over the years, which could inform us on the current and emerging state of the India-China trade.
Increase in overall imports of Electrical Machinery & Equipment despite fall in import from China
‘Electrical Machinery & Equipment’ is the major category under which India imports the maximum value of goods from China. It accounts for 11.02% and 10.8% of the total imports in 2017-18 & 2018-19.  However, in 2018-19, the value of imports from China in this category fell from ₹1.85 lakh crores to ₹1.44 lakh crores i.e. a decrease ₹ 0.42 lakh crores. This is contrary to the trend observed in previous years. Among the major goods categories imported from China, this is the only category where the value of imports from China has decreased.
Analysis of data from 2014-15 to 2018-19 indicates that the imports from China in this category consistently accounted for more than 50% of the total imports. Furthermore, China’s share increased from around 50% in 2014-15 to 59% in 2017-18. Surprisingly, China’s share fell to 40% in 2018-19 because of the decrease in the value of imports from China. Despite such a fall of imports from China,  the overall imports under this category did not decrease.  In fact, the total imports under ‘Electrical Machinery & Equipment’ increased in 2018-19 to ₹ 3.64 lakh crores compared to ₹ 3.11 lakh crores in 2017-18.
Increase in imports from Hong Kong compensates for the fall of imports from China.
The increase in the overall imports of ‘Electrical Equipment and Machinery’ despite the fall in imports from China is due to the substantial increase in the imports under this category from Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. The increase in the value of imports from these countries, not only compensate the fall in import numbers from China but also increase the total value of the imports under this category.
Hong Kong individually more than compensates for the proportional fall in import from China, with an increase of ₹ 0.53 lakh crores in 2018-19 compared to 2017-18. As highlighted in the earlier part of the story, Chinese imports for this category fell by ₹ 0.42 lakh crores in 2018-19. The value of imports from Hong Kong increased to ₹ 0.61 lakh crores compared to ₹ 0.07 lakh crores in 2017-18.  The imports from Hong Kong continue to be at this level even in 2019-20. As per  the data available until Feb’ 2020, the value of imports from Hongkong is ₹ 0.57 lakh crores. The value of imports from Vietnam and Singapore have also recorded a significant increase.
Fall in imports of certain goods from China in 2018-19 not fully substituted by imports from other countries
Under the broader head of ‘Electrical Equipment & Machinery’, the sub-categories of ‘Electrical parts for Telephone Sets & Headsets etc.’ & ‘Diodes, Transistors, Semiconductors etc.’ have the highest fall in the imports from China. However, unlike the broader category, the fall in the imports from China is not fully substituted by other countries under these sub-categories.
Under the sub-category ‘Electrical parts for Telephone Sets & Headsets etc.’, the imports from China fell from ₹0.99 lakh crores to ₹ 0.5 lakh crores i.e. by ₹ 0.49 lakh crores. Meanwhile, the imports from Hong Kong increased from ₹ 0.05 lakh crores to ₹ 0.24 lakh crores. It is followed by Vietnam and Singapore whose exports to India under this sub-category also increased.
Similarly, for the sub-category ‘Diodes, Transistors, Semiconductors etc.’, the imports from China fell by around ₹ 0.10 lakh crores in 2018-19.  But the highest increase in imports by a country is for Singapore which is only ₹ 0.02 lakh crores followed by Hongkong with ₹ 0.01 lakh crores.
Substantial increase in imports from Hongkong in 2018-19
As observed in the earlier part of the story, at the category level of ‘Electrical equipment & machinery’, Hong Kong more than compensated for the fall in imports from China in 2018-19.
In 2018-19,  Hong Kong recorded a remarkable increase in imports by ₹0.53 lakh crores under this category. The major increase in the imports from Hong Kong was under the sub-category ‘Integrated Circuits (ICs)’  which increased by ₹ 0.22 lakh crores. Under the same sub-category, the imports from China increased by ₹ 0.15 lakh crores.
Ambiguity around the source of substitutes for the products whose imports from China have reduced
The imports from China in 2018-19 fell to the levels of 2014-15 with the data available until Feb’2020 also indicating a proportional trend in 2019-20. It is yet early to confirm if this trend would continue going forward.
The data for 2017-19 shows that fall in imports from China is majorly around ‘Electrical equipment & Machinery’ category. This fall is compensated majorly by the imports from Hong Kong and to an extent from Vietnam as noted earlier.
However, if one goes beyond the surface, it appears that China may be routing goods through countries like Hong Kong.  For instance, data as per OEC  indicates that ‘Integrated Circuits (ICs)’ form 3.51% of China’s exports in 2018 of which 42% is to Hong Kong. And this is the sub-category under which the imports from Hong Kong increased. There are news reports, which indicate that China might be routing its exports through Hong Kong. A Factsheet by Govt of Hong Kong’s Trade and Industry Department, states that Hongkong plays a key role as an entrepôt between Mainland China and Hongkong.
We cannot conclusively prove the quantum of Chinese imports routed through Hong Kong. However, this trend may only increase in the days to come as opposition to Chinese goods grows.
Featured Image: By Jon Sullivan/Public domain

source: news-factly

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Data: Wide Variation in Number of Women Contestants & Winners in Lok Sabha Elections Across States - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2024
Between the 5th Lok Sabha elections in 1971 to the 17th Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the share of women contestants of the total has increased from 3% to 9%. While the total number of contestants increased from 2,771 to 8,054 during this period, the number of women contestants has increased from 86 to 726. However, there have been wide variations across states.
In this series of stories on Indian Elections, our focus is to bring out some important, yet less covered aspects of the elections, and their trends over the last 17 Lok Sabha elections. The first part focused on independent candidates, the second part focused on overall contestants, deposits forfeited and the third part focused on disqualifications of candidates, both by way of electoral petitions and conviction in criminal cases.
In this fourth part, we look at the participation of women in Lok Sabha elections and their representation in the Lower House from states. For this, we analysed data available on Dataful. The data has been collated from the reports of the Election Commission of India and the Lok Sabha website.
Women’s participation in Lok Sabha is vital for inclusive governance, ensuring diverse perspectives and priorities are represented in policy-making. Their presence promotes gender equality, addresses women-specific issues effectively, and inspires future female leaders. This representation fosters a more robust democracy, leading to better-informed decisions and policies that cater to the diverse needs of society. Unfortunately, data shows that women’s representation in the Lok Sabha and other political bodies is relatively low.
Share of Women Contestants in general elections has increased from 3% in 1971 to 9% in 2019
Between the 5 Lok Sabha elections in 1971 and the 17 Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the share of women contestants in the total has increased from 3% to 9%. While the total number of contestants increased from 2,771 to 8,054 during this period, the number of women contestants has increased from 86 to 726. In other words, the average number of contestants per constituency has gone up from about 5 in the 1971 elections to almost 15 contestants in the 2019 elections. On the other hand, there has been at least one woman candidate on average from each constituency only since the 15 Lok Sabha elections in 2009. Though there has been a gradual increase in the number of women contestants in Lok Sabha elections over the years, it continues to be very low.
Share of Women Contestants has improved, but is still low
In terms of number of women contestants in the Lok Sabha elections from a state, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest with more than 700 women contestants between the 1971 and 2019 elections. However, Uttar Pradesh is also the state with the greatest number of Lok Sabha seats due to its large population which is why the state has a higher number of contestants including women. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar also had a higher number of women contestants.
However, if the share of women contestants against the total number of contestants in a state is considered, their share ranges in major states from about 2% in Himachal Pradesh to about 14% in Odisha during the 2019 elections. The share in Telangana was only 6% in the Lok Sabha elections after its official formation.
A gradual increase in the share of women contestants is evident in most of the states including Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. During the 14and 15 Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009, there was a drop in the share of women contestants in states like Bihar, Karnataka, and Punjab, following which it has increased. Odisha is one state where there has been a considerable increase in the share of women contestants – from 2% in 1971 to 14% in 2019. In majority of the states, the increase has been in the range of 6 to 8 percentage points.
Share of women MPs in the Lok Sabha has risen to 15%
According to data on MPs from the Lok Sabha website, the total number of women MPs has increased from 28 during the 5 Lok Sabha to 82 during the 17 Lok Sabha term. That is, out of the total Lok Sabha members during a specific term, their share has gone up from 5% to nearly 15%. The 17th Lok Sabha had the highest number and share of women MPs ever. It should be noted that the number of MPs for a specific Lok Sabha term in the following chart may be more than the number of constituencies since it includes all the MPs during a term including those who were deceased, expelled, or resigned during a term, and those that were elected in a by-poll.
One-third of the MPs from Odisha in the 17th Lok Sabha are Women
The share of women out of all the MPs from a state has seen significant growth in some major states like Gujarat, West Bengal, and Maharashtra. Odisha is the only state which has reported one-third representation of women in the 17 Lok Sabha. This is the highest for any state ever. In fact, the state saw zero representation of women in the 15 Lok Sabha. Punjab had 30% representation in the 15 Lok Sabha. The states of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh had a representation of more than 20% each in the 17 Lok Sabha. In the last three elections, the representation has dropped in the states of Bihar and Assam. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are two states where the share has never gone beyond 10%.
Though the share of women has increased, the number is still low
The participation of women in general elections as well as the representation of women in Lok Sabha across the states is considerably low even though there has been a gradual increase in the numbers over the years. In countries like New Zealand, Spain, Rwanda, Nordic countries, and Mexico, women constitute more than 40% of the representatives in their legislative bodies.
The women’s representation bill calls for reserving one-third of the seats for women
This data underscores the ongoing need for efforts to promote and support women’s participation in leadership roles in Indian politics at all levels of governance. One important step forward taken by the government is the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill which is also referred to as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam which aims to reserve 33% seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies. The same is also applicable to the seats reserved for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and state legislatures. The Bill will be effective after the Census data is published & delimitation is taken up. The bill holds the potential to bring about positive changes in women’s participation and representation in Indian politics.


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With less than 30% receiving at least one dose, Indonesia & Iran battle a severe wave of COVID-19
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 4, 2021
In both Indonesia & Iran, the vaccination rate is less than 30% (the share of population receiving at least one dose) and that meant that the current wave of COVID-19 in these countries is severe with increased cases & deaths unlike in countries like UK.
In the previous story, we reviewed the trends for the current wave of COVID-19 in a few of the countries where a higher portion of the population is vaccinated with at least one dose. Data clearly indicates that despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in countries such as the USA, UK and European countries, the fatality rates are significantly lower compared to the earlier waves. In other words, the trend in these countries indicates a possible correlation between the vaccination rate & reduction in the severity of cases and deaths due to COVID-19.
On the other hand, there are countries with lower vaccination rates and an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. In this story, we analyse three such countries Indonesia, Iran & Russia to understand if lower vaccination rates are coupled with a higher number of deaths.
As in the case of an earlier story, we have relied on the data available on Ourworldindata.org. We have considered a 10-day average for data related to daily cases & deaths, to average out any outliers.
In Indonesia, the fatality rate has increased during the recent wave
The recent third wave in Indonesia is exponentially severe than the earlier waves of COVID-19 in the country.  Data show that the latest wave has just crossed the peak. However, the impact of this wave has been the most devasting since the beginning of the pandemic.
Compared to these two, the third wave has been severe. The number of cases started to increase at the beginning of June 2021 and by mid-July, it peaked at more than 45 thousand cases a day. During this period, the number of daily deaths reached a peak of around 1.7 thousand. A general trend observed across various countries is that the fatality rates have decreased over time with the increase in the number of cases. However, in the case of Indonesia, the fatality rate increased during the third wave meaning that the increase in deaths have outpaced the increase in the cases, underlining the severity of the current wave in the country.
Meanwhile, the proportion of the population that is vaccinated is among the least in the world. The latest numbers indicate that only about 23% of the population has managed to receive at least one dose of vaccine with only 13% of the population fully vaccinated. It is only over the last two months that the vaccination numbers have increased.
Compared to the West European countries, USA, India, Brazil, etc. Indonesia had less intense initial waves of COVID-19. In hindsight, a proactive approach to vaccinating its population during those times could have helped in controlling the severe current wave.
In Iran, the fatality rate has reduced despite an increase in the number of deaths
Outside of China & Western European countries, Iran was among the earliest of the countries affected with COVID-19. At its peak in late March 2020, the number of daily cases was around 3 thousand and the deaths were around 140-150. Since then, Iran has experienced three separate waves of COVID-19 infection, with each severe than the earlier one in terms of the number of daily cases.
Recently, Iran experienced a fourth wave of COVID-19 infection with the average number of cases in a day reached a peak at around 40 thousand. The number of daily deaths was around 640. It is early yet to confirm if the country has crossed the peak of the fourth wave. The difference between Iran & Indonesia is that despite an increase in the number of cases, the declining trend in the fatality rate has continued.  The vaccination status does not present an encouraging picture with only around 22% vaccinated with at least a single dose so far. Only around 9% of the population is fully vaccinated. The declining fatality rate could be an aberration because of the very high fatality rate of around 5.5% in Iran, to begin with.
As is the case with Indonesia, it looks like Iran could have prevented deaths if a greater share of the population was vaccinated.
The number of deaths & fatality rate have increased in Russia during the third wave
After the USA, India & Brazil, Russia is the fourth most COVID-19 affected country with close to 7 million cases.   Russia experienced the first wave of COVID-19 infection during April-May 2020, with a peak of around 10 thousand daily cases during mid-May 2020. Unlike many other countries which have experienced COVID-19 in early 2020, the number of deaths was lower with only around 150-160 deaths being reported at its peak in June 2020.
During the second wave that peaked during December 2020, around 27-28 thousand cases were reported daily. During this period, the highest number of deaths averaged around 550 per day.
Meanwhile, the death rate which was around 1.7% at the beginning of the second wave increased to around 1.8% by the time it subsided. Vaccination was yet to begin in Russia around this time.
The third wave started around Mid-June 2021 and peaked around Mid-July 2021, with the highest cases being around 24 thousand in a day.  This peak is lower than that of the second wave.
However, the trend in the number of deaths was the opposite with the daily number reaching 770-780 at its peak. This is considerably higher than that of the second wave. The reduced number of cases and increased deaths have contributed to an increased fatality rate, which is currently around 2.6%.
Besides Indonesia, Russia is also among the larger countries which has a lesser proportion of its population vaccinated with only around 30% receiving at least one dose. Around a quarter of the population is fully vaccinated. As in the case of Indonesia, there seems to be a correlation between lower vaccination and increased death rates in the recent waves.
Countries with lower vaccination rates experienced an increase in deaths & fatality rate
These three countries are the large ones with only around 30% or lower population vaccinated with at least one dose. There are other countries with a lower share of the population vaccinated but are yet to experience a new wave of COVID-19.
Many countries like Columbia, Argentina, Turkey, etc. that have experienced a third or fourth wave of COVID-19, were able to control the fatality rates. The vaccination rate in these countries is higher than the countries that we have analysed in this story, although they are not at the levels of the USA & other European countries analysed in the previous story.
The severity of the third wave in Indonesia & Russia is evident with a significant increase in deaths & fatality rates. Although the fatality rate reduced in Iran, the number of deaths was still higher than in the earlier waves.
The rate of vaccination and its relation to deaths/fatality rates due to COVID-19 is evident from the data of these countries. Countries with a higher vaccination rate have been able to prevent a higher number of deaths while the opposite is true in the case of countries like Indonesia & Iran with less than 30% vaccination rates.
Featured Image: Current wave of COVID-19

created: September 4, 2021


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Data: With More Than 1.27 Trillion Rupees Spent, CSR Expenditure Skewed Towards Certain Sectors & States
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 6, 2023
Data on the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds & related expenditure indicates that more than 1.27 trillion rupees were spent as part of CSR between 2014-15 & 2020-21. However, bulk of this spending is skewed towards certain sectors & states.
To tackle socio-economic issues like malnutrition, poverty, illiteracy among others and to make the country’s corporate sector more involved with the development sector, the government came up with statutory obligations under Corporate Social Responsibility (referred to as CSR) in the Companies Act, 2013. One of the stated objectives of including this provision in the law is to enhance the accountability and disclosure of corporates and involve them in social development. The statutory provision promotes responsible and sustainable business by making it mandatory for large companies in the country to channel their efforts into addressing social and environmental concerns across the country and hence, work towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
India was one of the first countries in the world to create a legal framework on CSR
By mandating CSR through statutory obligations, India became one of the first countries in the world to create a legal framework on CSR and statutorily mandate companies to report on the same. The legal framework of CSR in India is given below:
Every company registered under the Companies Act, 2013, with specified thresholds of turnover, net worth, or net profit during the immediately preceding financial year, is mandated to spend at least two percent of the average net profits made during the three immediately preceding financial years on welfare works under CSR. Some of the companies with high CSR spending include Reliance Industries Ltd, ONGC, TCS Ltd, Infosys Ltd, etc.
1.27 Trillion rupees spent by companies under CSR in last seven years
Since the enactment of CSR provisions in April 2014, companies have spent nearly 1.27 trillion rupees or 1.27 lakh crore rupees in a span of seven years as per the data available on the National CSR Portal based on the disclosures made by companies. This money has been spent across 29 different sectors such as health, education, environment, welfare, development, and others. From over Rs. 10,065 crores spent in 2014-15, the CSR expenditure in India has increased to Rs. 25,715 crores in 2020-21 registering a 2.5-times increase in the seven years of implementation.
Education, Health & Rural Development received 60% of the CSR expenditure
With nearly Rs. 36,815 crores, the education sector received 29% of the CSR expenditure between 2014-15 and 2020-21. The health sector comes next with 20% of the CSR expenditure of Rs. 25,391 crores. More than Rs. 12,300 crores were spent in Rural development projects which accounted for 9.7%. The three sectors are the only ones to receive more than Rs. 10,000 crores each of CSR expenditure and together accounted for nearly 59% of the total CSR expenditure incurred in the country in seven years.
Environmental sustainability, malnutrition, hunger and poverty, livelihood enhancement projects, central government funds including PMNRF, sanitation, art & culture, and vocational skills received more than Rs. 2000 crores each and together contributed to another 29.4% of the expenditure.
Safe drinking water, women empowerment, natural resources conservation, gender equality, animal welfare, orphanages, armed forces (veterans, war widows, etc.), special education, Swachch Bharath Kosh, sports, technology incubators, senior citizens welfare, agroforestry, slum area development, and socio-economic inequalities are the other sectors in which CSR amount is used. These sectors accounted for <9% of the CSR expenditure. For the remaining expenditure (~3%), companies have not disclosed the details of the projects.
CSR funds were diverted to tackle the pandemic in 2020-21
The trend in spending across the sectors indicates that companies diverted CSR funds to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Data shows the following broad trends.
The government made an amendment to Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 during the pandemic enabling companies to undertake CSR activities in their normal course of business for undertaking research and development of a new vaccine, drugs and medical devices related to COVID-19 for financial years 2020-21, 2021-22 & 2022-23. The government also allowed the spending of CSR funds for carrying out public outreach campaigns on COVID-19 vaccination, setting up of makeshift hospitals and temporary COVID care facilities, creating health infrastructure for COVID care, the establishment of medical oxygen generation and storage plants, manufacturing and supply of Oxygen concentrators,  ventilators and other medical equipment for countering COVID-19.
5 states received one-third of the total CSR expenditure
The cumulative CSR Expenditure in the seven years was the highest in Maharashtra with nearly Rs.18,608 crores. Since 2014-15, Maharashtra, which is the highest contributor to India’s GDP, has been the highest recipient of CSR expenditure. Five states- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh account for one-third of the CSR expenditure in the country over the years. If Delhi is included, the six states accounted for 36.6%. At the same time, the northeastern countries received only 1.4% of the CSR expenditure. Excluding Assam, they received 0.27%.
‘PAN India’ is the category used when companies have mentioned PMNRF, Swacch Bharat Kosh or Clean Ganga Fund or Any Other Fund or if they have mentioned more than one state for a particular project/activity. Spending on PAN Indian projects alone was 32.7% of the total CSR expenditure and that on PAN Indian Central Government Funds was nearly 7.5%. PAN India spending including both these expenditures was more than Rs. 51,000 crores.
Data highlights skewed nature of CSR Expenditure
The data highlights the skewed distribution of CSR expenditure to certain development sectors & states. The three sectors- healthcare, education, and rural development received more CSR funds compared to other sectors like gender equality, socio-economic inequalities, minority empowerment, and natural resources conservation. Moreover, some states which contribute more to the GDP received a lion’s share of CSR funds compared to other states.
A new disclosure framework was released by the government in early 2022 which mandates filing a detailed report for 2020-21, expenditure on ongoing projects and new projects, creation of capital assets, impact assessment, etc. Considering the quantum of money spent on CSR in India, there is tremendous potential for the social, environmental, and economic development, provided it is used effectively. It remains to be seen if the distribution of spending changes in the coming years.

created: January 6, 2023


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Data: Women in the Union Council of Ministers (1952 to 2019)
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2020
Unlike in most other democracies, Women have been a part of the Union Council of Ministers in India from the first ever Lok Sabha in 1952. However, their representation & role has been limited. Here is a detailed data-based analysis of the women in the union council of ministers from 1952 to 2019.
The first woman to be a part of US cabinet was in the year 1933, more than 130 years after the formation of its first cabinet. The United Kingdom gave place to a woman in its cabinet in the year 1929, which was quite late in their democratic history. The same is the case with many other democracies in Europe, with women being inducted into the cabinets around the same period.
However, whether it could be the influence of times where in women being part of the cabinet has become an accepted idea or the idea of providing equal opportunity in lines with provision of ‘Universal Adult Franchise’ since the very first election, India had women representation in the union council of ministers from the very first government.
Inthis story we take a look at the representation of women in various unioncabinets, the portfolios they held etc. The data is collated from varioussources, which includes – archived compilation of council ministers since independence, the information in respect to the change in
portfolios since 1952, the archival data of council of
ministers since 1990s and the handbook
on council of ministers 1947-2015.
Factlyhas earlier published a story,which enlists all the women in the union council of ministers from the time ofthe first government. For this analysis, we are excluding the current i.e. 17 Lok Sabha since it is ongoing and there is scope for changes in the future.
Until
2019,  72 women have been part of Union
Council of Ministers
Fromthe time of the first Lok Sabha (1952-57) to the 16 Lok Sabha (2014-19),72 different women have taken up various positions & portfolios in theunion council of ministers. These include the positions of Cabinet Minister,Deputy Minister & Minister of State (MoS).
Thefirst woman cabinet minister was Rajkumari Amrit Kaur of Indian NationalCongress. She became the Cabinet Minister for Health during the first Lok Sabha(1952-57).  The first Lok Sabha alsoincluded another woman in the position of Deputy minister, Maragatham ChandraShekhar. She was the deputy minister for Health.
The first non-congress women in Union Council of Ministers were Sathiavani Muthu and Abha Maiti of ADMK & Janata party respectively. Both of them were part of Charan Singh’s Cabinet between 1979-80. Muthu was the Cabinet Minister of Rural Development while Abha Maiti was MoS in Ministry of Industry.
Ofthe 72 women who were part of the union council, 10 were given the rank ofCabinet minister in their first stint. Most of the women ministers were giventhe rank of MoS.
The
highest number of new women inductees was during 10th Lok Sabha
P.V.Narasimha Rao’s council of ministers of the 10 Lok Sabha i.e. between 1991-96 included 12 women ministers. Out of these, 9 were given the opportunity for the first time. They were inducted into the union council at different periods and none of them served a full term. Furthermore, none of these 9 new ministers were given the rank of Cabinet ministers.
The 15 Lok Sabha i.e. 2009-14, had the second-highest number of new women ministers in the council of ministers with 8.  In terms of providing rank of Cabinet Minister for first time ministers, the 16 Lok Sabha i.e. 2014-19 ranks top, when 3 new women ministers were given the cabinet rank.
Council
of Ministers during 15th Lok Sabha had the highest number of Women
Ministers
As highlighted earlier, the first Lok Sabha during 1952-57 had only two women ministers. The women representation in the subsequent Lok Sabha tenures have been higher with the exception of the 9 Lok Sabha (1989-91), where only 2 women have served as ministers. However, they served in two different governments as Maneka Gandhi was part of VP Singh’s government, whereas Usha Sinha was part of Chandra Sekhar’s government.
Whilethe first non-congress government formed at the Centre under Morarji Desai in1977 did not have any women in the council of ministers, the new short-livedgovernment under Charan Singh during the same Lok Sabha had 4 women ministers,including the first two non-congress ministers as highlighted earlier.
The11 Lok Sabha tenure (1996-98) had three different Prime Ministersand the respective council of ministers led by A.B.Vajpayee, H.D.Deve Gowda andI.K.Gujral.
The highest number of women in the union council of ministers during a Lok Sabha tenure was in the 15 Lok Sabha i.e. 2009-14, wherein 14 different women have been made ministers. Of these,  4 women held the rank of Cabinet Minister, while 2 were MoS with independent charge and the rest of 8 women were MoS in different ministries.
Around
half of the Women Ministers had the rank of Minister of State
Allthrough the 16 Lok Sabha tenures and the respective council of ministers formedduring this period, the Minister of State (MoS) is the most common rank given towomen ministers. They have been given this rank on 62 separate occasions. Ithas to be noted that this is by the rank in the union council of ministers andnot based on the portfolio i.e. a minister holding multiple portfolios during agovernment’s tenure of the same rank is treated as one.
Meanwhile, any change in the rank is considered i.e. if an MoS is elevated to Cabinet minister, these are considered as individual instances. For instance, Nirmala Sitharaman during the 16 Lok Sabha tenure was MoS for Finance as well MoS for Corporate affairs, MoS (IC) for Commerce & Industry and Cabinet Minister for Defence. Hence, she is categorized under three categories.
Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister during the 3, 4, 5 and 7 Lok Sabha. In the respective council of ministers, she held multiple portfolios and also included several women ministers.  However, none of these women ministers were provided the Cabinet rank.
Information
& Broadcasting followed by Culture are the most common Portfolios held by
Women
Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India during 3,4, 5 & 7 Lok Sabha, during which time she held many portfolios in addition to her position as the Prime Minister. This includes a few key portfolios like Home Ministry, Defence, Finance & External Affairs. For the purpose of this analysis, we have excluded Indira Gandhi since hers is a special case and have focused on those women who have been part of the council of ministers as only ministers.
Amongthe portfolios handled by women with Cabinet Rank, Information &Broadcasting  (I & B) Ministry is themost common with women holding this on 4 instances. The next common portfoliois Culture.
Among the key portfolios, Mamatha Banerjee was Minister for Railways during the 13 Lok Sabha. Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Seetharaman were the Cabinet Ministers for External Affairs and Defence during the 16 Lok Sabha.
NirmalaSeetharaman also became the Union Minister for Finance in the 17 Lok Sabha (analysis not part of the story). Smriti Irani held the key portfolioof Human Resource Development for a short period during 16 LokSabha.
I&Balso happens to be the common portfolio for the rank of Deputy Minister. Amongthe portfolios where women were MoS, Human Resource Development is the most commonfollowed by Health & Family Welfare.
External Affairs is also very common (4 occasions) among the portfolios held by women as MoS.
Exceptfor Maneka Gandhi (Cabinet Minister – 16 Lok Sabha) & RenukaChoudhary (MoS-IC – 14 Lok Sabha), women did not hold the cabinetrank or MoS (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Women welfare orempowerment. Sushma Swaraj was the Cabinet Minister for Health & Familywelfare – a related portfolio, during 13 Lok Sabha.
Need
for greater representation of Women in key portfolios
Although India had women representation in the Union Council of Ministers from the time of the first Lok Sabha,  their role was a nominal one in most of the governments that followed. With the exception of Indira Gandhi who held important portfolios on account of being the PM, none of the women ministers held key portfolios during most governments. Furthermore, as highlighted in the story, most women were given the rank of MoS and very few were given independent charge of a ministry.
There is some change over the past few Lok Sabhas where an increased number of women are given the Cabinet rank. However, making them in charge of key portfolios is still limited to stand-alone cases. Providing greater opportunities, including more women and making them in charge of key ministries is the only way forward in ensuring equitable distribution of power.


text:
Data: Women still underrepresented in the Union Council of Ministers
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 13, 2021
Unlike in most other democracies, Women have been a part of the Union Council of Ministers in India from the first ever Lok Sabha in 1952. However, their representation & role has been limited. Here is a detailed data-based analysis of the women in the union council of ministers from 1952 to 2021.
The first woman to be a part of the US cabinet was in the year 1933, more than 130 years after the formation of its first cabinet. The United Kingdom gave place to a woman in its cabinet in the year 1929, which was quite late in their democratic history. The same is the case with many other democracies in Europe, with women being inducted into the cabinets around the same period.
India on the other hand had women representation in the union council of ministers from the very first government. Whether it is the influence of times wherein women being part of the cabinet has become an accepted idea or the idea of providing equal opportunity in line with the provision of ‘Universal Adult Franchise’ since the very first election, India has ensured that women were part of the union council of ministers from the very first Lok Sabha.
In this story, we take a look at the representation of women in the union council of ministers during various Lok Sabha terms and the portfolios they held. The data is collated from various sources, which includes – an archived compilation of council of ministers since independence, the information in respect to the change in portfolios since 1952, the archival data of council of ministers since 1990s and the handbook on the council of ministers 1947-2015.
Methodology: Each portfolio held by a person is treated as a ministry held by the person. For instance, if a person held two portfolios during the same term, it is treated as the person handling two ministries.  Full-term is referred to as the one who holds a portfolio for the entire Lok Sabha term and part-term is referred to as the otherwise.
Factly has created a detailed data dashboard, where one can find all the information & data related to Women in the Union Council of Ministers, since the first Lok Sabha.
Till date, 82 Women have been part of the Union Council of Ministers
From the time of the first Lok Sabha (1952-57) to the present 17 Lok Sabha (2019- till date), a total of 82 different women have taken up various positions & portfolios in the union council of ministers. These include the positions of Cabinet Minister, Deputy Minister & Minister of State (MoS).
The first woman cabinet minister was Rajkumari Amrit Kaur of the Indian National Congress. She became the cabinet minister during the first Lok Sabha (1952-57). The first Lok Sabha also included another woman in the position of deputy minister, Maragatham Chandra Shekhar. Both held the Ministry of Health portfolio.
The first non-congress women in the Union Council of Ministers were Sathiavani Muthu and Abha Maiti of ADMK & Janata party respectively. Both of them were part of Charan Singh’s Cabinet between 1979-80. Muthu was the Cabinet Minister of Rural Development while Abha Maiti was MoS in the Ministry of Industry.
The recent cabinet reshuffle witnessed the induction of 7 new women into the Union Council of Ministers making the total number of Women Ministers to 11 with 14 portfolios between them.
Of the 82 women who were part of the union council of ministers, 11 were given the rank of Cabinet minister in their first stint. Most of the new women ministers were given the rank of MoS during their first stint.
The highest number of new women inductees was during the 10th Lok Sabha
Former Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao’s council of ministers during the 10 Lok Sabha i.e., between 1991-96 included 12 women ministers. Out of these, 9 were given the opportunity for the first time. They were inducted into the union council at different periods and none of them served a full term. Furthermore, none of these 9 new ministers were given the rank of Cabinet minister.
The 15th Lok Sabha i.e., 2009-14, had the second-highest number of new women ministers in the council of ministers with 8. Even the current, 17 Lok Sabha has 8 new women in the union council of ministers. In terms of giving the rank of Cabinet Minister for first-time ministers, the 16th Lok Sabha i.e., 2014-19 ranks top, when 3 new women ministers were given the cabinet rank.
The greatest number of Women Ministers during the 15th Lok Sabha
As highlighted earlier, the first Lok Sabha during 1952-57 had only two women ministers. The women representation in the subsequent Lok Sabha tenures have been higher with the exception of the 9 Lok Sabha (1989-91), where only 2 women served as ministers. However, they served in two different governments as Maneka Gandhi was part of VP Singh’s government, whereas Usha Sinha was part of Chandra Sekhar’s government.
While the first non-congress government formed at the Centre under Morarji Desai in 1977 did not have any woman in the council of ministers, the new short-lived government under Charan Singh during the same Lok Sabha had 4 women ministers, including the first two non-congress ministers as highlighted earlier.
The highest number of women in the union council of ministers during a Lok Sabha tenure was in the term of the 15 Lok Sabha i.e., 2009-14, wherein 14 different women have been made ministers. Of these, 4 women held the rank of Cabinet Minister, while 2 were MoS with independent charge and the rest of the 8 women were MoS in different ministries.
Around half of the Women Ministers held the rank of Minister of State
To date, the Minister of State (MoS) is the most common rank given to women ministers. They have been given this rank on 71 separate occasions. It has to be noted that this is by the rank in the union council of ministers and not based on the portfolio i.e., a minister holding multiple portfolios during a government’s tenure of the same rank is treated as one. Also, if the same person has held different ranks during the same or different Lok Sabha terms, they are treated as different.
Further, any change in the rank is also considered i.e., if an MoS is elevated to Cabinet minister, these are considered as individual instances. For instance, Nirmala Sitharaman during the 16th Lok Sabha tenure was MoS for Finance as well MoS for Corporate affairs, MoS (IC) for Commerce & Industry and Cabinet Minister for Defence. Hence, she is categorized under three categories.
Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister during the 3, 4, 5 and 7  Lok Sabha. In the respective council of ministers, she held multiple portfolios and also included several women ministers.  However, none of these women ministers were provided the Cabinet rank.
Information & Broadcasting followed by Culture are the most common Portfolios held by Women
Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India during the 3, 4, 5 & 7  Lok Sabha, during which time she held many portfolios in addition to her position as the Prime Minister. This includes a few key portfolios like Home Ministry, Defence, Finance & External Affairs. For the purpose of this analysis, we have excluded Indira Gandhi since hers is a special case and have focused on those women who have been part of the council of ministers as only ministers.
Among the portfolios handled by women in the union council of ministers, the Culture and Human Resource Development Ministry is the most common with women holding this in 15 instances each. The next common portfolio is Social Justice and Empowerment.
Among the key portfolios, Nirmala Seetharaman was the cabinet minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs. Smriti Irani though has been relinquished of the Textile ministry, after a short stint currently holds the key portfolio of Women & Child Development during 17 Lok Sabha.
To date, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) happens to be the common portfolio in the rank of Cabinet, followed by Culture. Apart from Social Justice and Empowerment, I&B also happens to be the common portfolio for the rank of Deputy Minister. Among the portfolios where women were MoS, Human Resource Development is the most common followed by Culture, Health & Family Welfare, both at the same position. External Affairs is also very common (5 occasions) among the portfolios held by women as MoS.
Only two women held the rank of Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development
Of the 13 instances where a woman held the Women & Child Development portfolio, Maneka Gandhi (16 Lok Sabha) and Smriti Irani (present 17 Lok Sabha)  are the only two women who held it in the Cabinet rank. Maneka Gandhi is the only woman who held it for a complete term of 16 Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019. It remains to be seen if Smriti Irani would hold for the entire duration of the 17 Lok Sabha.
Of the 6 instances where a woman held the rank of Minister of State (Mos), all of them were part term (not complete Lok Sabha term). Of the 4 instances in the rank of Minister of State (in charge), 3 were part term and 1 full term. Usha Sinha, who belongs to the 9th Lok Sabha (1989-91) is the only woman who held the rank of  Deputy Minister which is also a part term.
Women still under-represented in the Union Council of Ministers
Currently, there are 10 women in the union council of ministers out of the total strength of 78 (including the Prime Minister). This is around 13% of the strength of the union council of ministers. If only ministers of the cabinet rank are considered, then there are only two women out of the 30 who hold the cabinet rank which is around 6.7%. Even their representation is a meager 14.6% in the Lok Sabha and 11.7% in the Rajya Sabha currently.
According to the Women in Politics: 2021 report of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that ranks countries based on the women in ministerial positions and considers only the cabinet rank as of 01 January 2021, India stood at 160 position in parliaments around the world, the lowest among BRICS nations, indicating how women are underrepresented in the decision-making executive positions.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 highlighted gender gap widening in India is largely due to women’s inadequate representation in politics, technical and leadership roles.
If more women are to participate in politics & hold important positions, political commitment along with addressing institutional and social barriers that deter equal representation and participation are needs of the hour.
Featured Image: Women in Union Council of Ministers


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Data: World Heritage Sites Managed by ASI Generated Rs. 385 Crores in Revenue in Four Years, 40% From Taj Mahal
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 9, 2023
24 of the 40 World Heritage Sites in India are protected & managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Data indicates that close to Rs. 250 crores were spent on them since 2017-18 while the revenue generated from 20 of these monuments from 2019-20 is around Rs. 385 crores of which 40% is from Taj Mahal.
A World Heritage Site is a Cultural or a Natural landmark that is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This recognition is given to landmarks that signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity or great natural beauty which have a historical, cultural, scientific, or other significance. By recognizing such landmarks, the effort is to ensure preservation and conservation which otherwise would get neglected and lost if left unmonitored. Such sites that are recognized by UNESCO are demarcated and receive legal protection, recognition as well as funding towards the conservation and promotion efforts.
Internationally, UNESCO has recognized 1,154 World Heritage Sites across 167 countries.
India has 40 World Heritage Sites recognized by the UNESCO. Of these 40 sites, 32 are cultural, 7 are natural and one is categorized as mixed. Factly’s article about World Heritage Sites and such sites in India can be read here.  While a landmark being recognized as World Heritage Site is a considerable achievement and recognition, it is also important to ensure the conservation of the same.
24 out of 40 Global Heritage Sites in India under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India
Various Government agencies are responsible for the protection & conservation of the 40 UNESCO recognized Global Heritage Sites in the country.  Most of them i.e., 24 are under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). ASI is an Indian government Agency that is responsible for archaeological research, conservation, and preservation of cultural & historical monuments in the country.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has the onus to protect the 7 Natural Sites as well as Khangchendzonga National Park which is a mixed site. Two sites i.e., Mountain Railways of India and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus are under the protection of Ministry of Railways.
Of the other 6 World Heritage sites, 3 are preserved by the respective municipal corporations.
Responding to a question in Lok Sabha during the recently concluded Winter session, the government highlighted the role of ASI in preserving the Centrally protected World heritage Sites.
Close to Rs. 250 crores spent on Centrally protected sites since 2017-18
In the same response provided in Lok Sabha in December 2022, the Government of India furnished information of the expenditure incurred by ASI towards the conservation & development of amenities, maintenance etc. of Centrally Protected Heritage Sites. This information pertains to only the 24 World Heritage Sites protected by ASI and does not include the expenditure incurred towards the remaining World Heritage Sites protected by other agencies.
As per the update provided in Lok Sabha, Rs. 32.6 crores were spent on Centrally Protected sites as of December during 2022-23. In 2021-22, expenditure of Rs. 44.5 crores were incurred by ASI. This was an increased compared to 2020-21, where-in the expenditure dropped compared to the previous year, possibly on account of COVID-19 pandemic.
During the five-year period 2017-18 to 2021-22, the greatest expenditure incurred was during 2018-19, with a total of Rs. 55.32 crores. This was nearly double to the total expenditure incurred on these centrally protected heritage sites in 2017-18. There was an increase in the expenditure incurred in 2018-19, across most of these heritage sites. However, the most was on – Group of monuments at Hampi and Red Fort Complex.
The Ministry of Culture’s Annual Report 2018-19 states that major conservation and development activities were undertaken across various sites. Monuments at Red Fort, Hampi were among the sites referred to in this report.
Highest expenditure on Red Fort followed by monuments at Hampi & Taj Mahal
During the period 2017-18 to 2021-22, around Rs. 59.7 crores were spent by ASI on Red Fort Complex. A further Rs. 5.8 crores are spent as of 12 December 2022 in the current financial year. A major portion of this is during the three-year period of 2018-19 to 2020-21, where-in expenditure of Rs. 18.8 crores, Rs. 15.6 crores and Rs. 13.4 crores were incurred on Red Fort.
During the same period around, Rs. 33 crores were spent on Monuments in Hampi. However, nearly half of it is during 2018-19.  The conservation and development works carried out in 2018-19 could be the reason. Next on this list is Taj Mahal in terms of expenditure incurred. However, there is a consistent expenditure in range of Rs. 3-4 crores every year on it instead of any increased expenditure in a specific year.
The Churches & Convents of Goa has seen a recent increase in expenditure with Rs. 4.46 crores in 2021-22 and already an amount of Rs.10.5 crores were spent in the 9 months of 2022-23. On the other hand, many other World Heritage Sites have seen comparatively lower expenditure. For instance, only about Rs. 83 lakhs were spent during this period on Bhimbetka Rock shelters. The expenditure on 10 of these World Heritage sites is less than Rs. 5 crores each since 2017-18. The two latest additions of Dholavira & Ramappa Temple received Rs. 1.25 crores and Rs. 1.3 crores since 2021-22.
Fall in Revenues due to pandemic despite recent recovery
In one Factly’s earlier stories, we had highlighted that India tourism sector was severely affected by COVID-19 and is yet to recover. There was also a decline in the foreign tourists to India. This is evident in the data provided by the Government of India in Lok Sabha.
As per the information provided, the total revenue earned by government through the Centrally protected World Heritage Sites in 2019-20 was Rs. 239.1 crores. During the pandemic year of 2020-21, the revenue fell to Rs. 28.9 crores. From 2019-20 to 2020-21, the number of footfalls at the 20 World Heritage monuments as provided in the Lok Sabha answer, fell from 2.45 crores to 57 lakhs. There was a recovery in 2021-22, when the number of footfalls increased to 1.25 crores, through which the total revenue generated was Rs. 61.8 crores. During the first 6 months of 2022-23 (April-September), the total number of footfalls were 88.6 lakhs with a revenue of Rs. 56.8 crores.
Taj Mahal generates 40% of the Revenue from Centrally Protected World Heritage Sites
Among the 20 monuments for which the revenue figures are provided in the Lok Sabha, a major share is from Taj Mahal, followed by the Agra Fort. The cumulative revenue during the 3.5 year period of 2017-18 to first six months of 2022-23 from Taj Mahal was Rs. 152 crores i.e., 40% of the total revenue generated across the 20 listed monuments during this period. The total footfalls during the period were 1.24 crores. Agra Fort, Qutub Minar and Red Fort are the other monuments which have a higher footfall and generate higher revenue among the 20 monuments. These 4 monuments make up 66% i.e., around 2/3 of the total revenue generated through the centrally protected World Heritage sites.
Monuments at Mamallapuram, Sun Temple at Konark and Ellora Caves are the other monuments which attract a greater number of footfalls and generate higher revenue.
Need for higher expenditure on lesser-known World Heritage Sites
Data indicates that monuments like Taj Mahal, which is among the 7 wonders of the world and more recognized has higher footfall and thereby generates higher revenue. Similarly, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Konark Sun Temple, etc. are the other monuments in the country which are well known and thereby have higher number of visitors. The expenditure on few of these sites is also higher.
Among the key purposes of recognizing a monument as World Heritage Site is to make efforts to conserve & develop them along with promoting them. As the data indicates, the expenditure on few of these sites is lower than others. This is also reflected in the lower number of tourists visiting them resulting in lower revenues. In this context, increased expenditure in recent years on Heritage sites like Sanchi Stupa, Churches & Convents in Goa, etc. is welcome. However, there is a need to increase expenditure on rest of the sites as well including the ones added to the list in the recent years.
Better facilities & greater promotion of these sites could also attract an increased number of foreign tourists as ‘World Heritage Sites’ are sought after by global tourists. This is important especially in the aftermath of COVID-19 when the world is slowly retuning back to normal and tourism activity is picking up across the globe.

created: January 9, 2023


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Data: Despite a decrease in new ‘Rioting’ cases, Pendency rate with the police increases
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 12, 2020
The NCRB data for 2019 indicates that there is a significant decrease in the number of new ‘rioting’ cases. However, despite this fall in the number of new cases, the pendency rate of these cases has increased with the Police disposing fewer cases than in earlier years.
In an earlier story, we looked at the trends relating to registration of cases for the various offences against public tranquility. We had observed that there is a fall in the reported number of such offences, especially the number of cases registered under ‘rioting’.
The trends from the NCRB 2019 data indicate variances in reporting across the states, with the possibility of under reporting in less evident instances of offences against public tranquility such as unlawful assembly. Apart from the trends related to the registered cases, it is also important to understand the disposal and conviction rate in these cases. In this story, we take a look at the trend in disposal of these cases by the police.
Pendency rate increased in 2019 despite of the fall in the number of new cases
In the earlier story, we had observed that there was a significant drop of around 17.5% in the number of new cases reported in this category. This also meant that the number of total cases being investigated by the police for the year 2019 also reduced. The cases being investigated during any year include the number of new cases booked during the year along with the cases that were pending from the previous year.
In 2019, a total of 1.06 lakh cases were investigated by the police for offences against public tranquility. Of these cases, around 66.9 thousand cases were disposed of, and the remaining 39 thousand cases i.e. around 37% of the cases are still pending investigation by the police. This is much higher than the pendency rate of total cognizable IPC cases, which is around 29% for 2019.
By the of 2019, the absolute number of pending cases under this category was less than pending number by the end of 2018. However, this number has to be seen in the context of the significant reduction in the total number of new cases. Hence, even though the total number of pending cases reduced by the end of 2019, the pendency rate is 37% compared to the pendency rate of 35% and 36% in the two preceding years.
Meanwhile, there was also a significant drop (more than 10%) in the number of cases disposed of by the police in 2019. Police disposal includes – (i) the cases where final report is prepared by the police and, (ii) cases for which the chargesheet is filed (these cases move to the court for trial).
Disposal rate in 2017 was just above 65% which fell in the next two years to approximately 64%  and 63% in 2018 & 2019 respectively.
Pendency rates for Police Disposal in ‘Rioting’ cases has increased
Cases booked under ‘Rioting’ form the major chunk of the offences against Public tranquility. Most of the trends relating to offences against Public tranquility are influenced by the trends in the cases booked for ‘Rioting’.
As in the case of overall number of offences, even in the cases relating to Rioting, although the number of total cases being investigated by the police has gone down, the pendency rate has increased.  In 2019, around 79 thousand cases of rioting were being investigated by police of which 29.7 thousand cases were pending i.e 37.6% by the end of 2019.  This is significantly more than the previous year (2018) when the pendency rate was only 35.5%. This increase in pendency is despite the fact that a far greater number i.e nearly 91.8 thousand cases were being investigated in 2018.
Even in 2015, where a significantly greater number of cases i.e 98 thousand cases of rioting were investigated, the pendency rate by the end of the year was lower than 2019 with 36.6%.
During this five-year period (2015 to 2019), the percentage of rioting cases disposed by police fell by over 1%. In 2015, 63.3% of cases were disposed of, which fell to 62.3% in 2019. The disposal was slightly higher in 2017 & 2018 when around 64% of the total cases were disposed of by the police.
Meanwhile, the number of cases relating to ‘Unlawful Assembly’ that are pending investigation has increased over the years. In 2017, there were around 5.7 thousand pending cases, which increased 6.2 thousand in 2019. Apart from the increase in the absolute numbers, the substantial increase in pendency rate is also a cause for concern. In 2017, 33% of the cases that are being investigated for ‘Unlawful Assembly’ were pending by the end of year. This has increased to 36% and 42% in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
28% of the cases pending with police are pending investigation for more than a year
By the end of 2019, out of the around 39 thousand cases that are pending investigation, nearly 11 thousand cases i.e around 28% are pending for over a year. Among these, around 2.2 thousand cases are pending with the police for over 3 years. These numbers have increased when compared to the previous year i.e 2018. By the end of 2018, out of more than 42 thousand cases that were pending with the police, nearly 11.4 thousand i.e around 27 % of the cases were pending for over a year.
While the number of cases pending for 1-3 years has come down in 2019, those that are pending for over 3 years has increased continuously since 2017.
The trend shows that 4 out of 10 every pending cases in this category are pending for less than 6 months. Further, more than 70% of the cases are pending for less than a year.
Around 70% of the cases are charge sheeted within 6 months
Because of the increase in pendency of cases, the proportion of cases in which a chargesheet is filed by the police has decreased over the years.   In 2017, nearly 58 % of the total cased being investigated by the police were chargesheeted during the year and this reduced to 55% in 2019. It has to be noted that this has come down despite a fall in the total number of cases being investigated.
Within the cases that are being chargesheeted, it is observed that 70% of the cases are chargesheeted within a period of 6 months. This is a slight improvement over the previous years. Meanwhile, the proportion of cases where it took more than year to file the chargesheet has slightly increased.
Apart from chargesheeting, there are cases where the police file the final report (asking for the case to be closed). Out of the total cases in which a  final report was filed by the police in 2018, around 13% of them were being investigated for a period between 1-2 years. This increased to 17% in 2019 (even the number of cases increased from 1393 to 1463).
The increase in proportion of cases being chargesheeted (especially within 6 months) along with an increase in disposal of long standing cases point to an urgency by the police to push through the pending cases. The quality of the investigation by the police can be ascertained to an extent by reviewing the trends in disposal of cases by the courts.
We would take a look at these numbers i.e disposal of cases by courts in the next story.
Featured Image: Pendency rate of cases

created: October 12, 2020


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Is daughter ‘IVANKA’ the last Trump card to Woo Indian-Americans?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 25, 2016
Ivanka Trump is expected to be the special guest at Rajadhani Mandir  in Virginia for this year’s Diwali celebrations.  But her efforts to reach out to the Indian-American community may not yield results.
Indian-Americans across United States are gearing up for Diwali Celebrations next week. Libraries, Temples and other community spaces are hosting Diwali special events and selling tickets fast. Even the United States Postal Service (USPS) commemorated the festival of Diwali by dedicating the Diwali Forever stamp on Oct 5, 2016. The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony took place at the Consulate General of India in New York City.
Photo Courtesy: United States Postal Service
Ivanka Trump to be the special guest in Loudoun
Loudoun County in Virginia is going to have a special guest this Diwali. Republican Presidential Nominee, Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. Ivanka Trump is a successful businesswoman and a prominent member of her father’s presidential campaign. She is  expected to participate in the Diwali celebrations in Rajdhani Mandir, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the county.  Besides Trump’s growing business interests in area, can this Diwali swing Virginia in his favour?
Both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections have indicated that the candidate winning the Loudoun County wins Virginia. Virginia has 13 crucial electoral votes in the 2016 Presidential bid. Traditionally a republican strong hold, Virginia has turned blue in the past few years.
Photo Courtesy: Twitter
Can Trump turn around Virginia?
Political experts argue that if there is one state Trump cannot win, its Virginia. One major factor is the demographics of the region. According to CNBC, Virginia’s non-white population has grown from 22 percent to 28 percent between 2009 and 2013. And the population is also getting younger. The size of the population ages 18-29 has jumped from just 15 percent to 19 percent since 2009. Both younger voters and non-white Americans are simply less statistically likely to vote for any Republican
Besides, non-white population born in the United States, Loudoun County’s foreign born population has increased fourfold and grew from 11.3 % to 24% between 2000 and 2014. India, El Salvador, Philippines, China, Korea and Vietnam comprise nearly half of the Loudoun’s foreign population.  India tops the list with 19.7% of the foreign born population.
The growing number of Indian Americans in Loudoun County can be attributed to the Dulles Technology corridor, which houses all major technology and defense company headquarters or major offices. The corridor has access to a highly educated work force in Loudoun County. According to U S Census 2013, Loudoun County has 57.6% adults above the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Loudoun is also the wealthiest county in the US with a median income of $117.876.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, current population estimates show there are about 20,000 to 25,000 Indian-Americans living in Loudoun. Education, wealth and diversity of the Indian American community have also stirred a backlash in the form of anti-Hindu vandalism. The Washington Post says that in 2014 alone, between July and October, the county authorities responded to 17 hate incidents involving Indian Americans.
The Republican Party and its nominee in this election have been called out for their anti-immigrants stand and for inciting hate and anger in non-white communities on several occasions.  It is in this context that Ivanka Trump’s visit will be scrutinized and also be used by the Indian American community as an opportunity to demonstrate their diversity, acceptance and desire to be treated with dignity. Indian-Americans around the US have traditionally supported the Democratic Party and have done so in Virginia for the past two presidential elections in 2008 and 2012. Can Ivanka’s Diwali with the Indian community change that? May be not.

created: October 25, 2016


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Dead bodies of Nigerian Soldiers falsely linked to Indian soldiers martyred in Galwan Valley - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 18, 2020
An image showing the dead bodies of soldiers is being shared on social media with a claim that these are the dead bodies of the Indian soldiers martyred in the recent faceoff with the Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. FACTLY found out that the image was earlier shared as the dead bodies related to the Nigerian army. It is alleged that in 2015, 105 Nigerian soldiers were killed by a terrorist group ‘Boko Haram’. Boko haram is a radical Islamic group that promotes the ideology of forbidding Muslims from any political and social activities related to the western society. Information related to the Nigerian army killed by the Boko haram group can be read here and here.
Sources:
Claim –
1. Facebook post (Archived)
Fact –
1. Time press Africa Blog –https://timepressafrica.blogspot.com/2015/11/shocking-army-buries-decomposed-bodies.html
2. Earliest Tweet – https://twitter.com/oparabiafra2015/status/667807145493004288
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Dealiest Earthquakes in the 21st Century - Storymap - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 26, 2015
Our prayers are with the victims of the earthquake in Nepal & India. Here is the list of the deadliest earthquakes in the 21st Century in a storymap format.
Source: USGS
Featured Image: By U.S. Navy photo by Naval Air Crewman 1st Class Jay Okonek [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


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Death of a 3-year-old in a road accident is falsely shared as rape and murder - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 9, 2020
A video is being shared on social media claiming that a 3-year-old girl was raped and killed in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A 3-year-old girl was raped and killed in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh.
Fact:  The 3-year-old girl in the video died due to the injuries suffered in a road accident, not because of rape. Aligarh Police posted in a tweet, clarified that girl in the video died because of the road accident at Akrabad city in Aligarh district. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of screenshots in the video, a tweet by the Aligarh Police about this incident was found in the Twitter. In the tweet, Aligarh Police clarified that the three-year-old girl in the video died because of the injuries suffered in a road accident at Akrabad city, Uttar Pradesh. Aligarh police alerted the social media users not to share the video with the false allegations of rape in this incident.
https://t.co/SRNhP4Z5BP
Aligarh district SP shared a video on Twitter detailing about the three-year-old girl’s accident in Akrabad. In the video, Aligarh SP mentioned that the accident took place on ‘04 November 2020’. He also clarified that all the allegations of rape are false. Aligarh police also shared the video of the statement given by the dead girl’s mother. In the statement, she said that the reason for her child’s death is due to the injuries suffered in a road accident.
दुर्घटना में मृत बच्ची की मां द्वारा दिया गया बयान pic.twitter.com/94eWDPzhud
To sum it up, 3-year-old girl in the video died due to the injuries suffered in a road accident, not because of the rape.

created: November 9, 2020


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Death of a girl ‘Jyoti Kumari’ in Bihar is falsely linked to ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2020
A collage with three photos is being shared widely on social media claiming that ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan has died in an incident in Bihar. Jyoti Kumari Paswan gained popularity after she cycled from Gurugram to Darbhanga covering more than 1,200 km in seven days with her ailing father during the COVID-19 lockdown. In the post, it is claimed that Jyoti Kumari Paswan was killed by Arjun Mishra of Patori village after she was caught stealing mangoes from his orchard. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan has died.
Fact: While it is true that a girl named ‘Jyoti Kumari’ was killed by Arjun Mishra of Patori village after she was caught stealing mangoes from his orchard, she is not the ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan who cycled from Gurugram to Darbhanga. So, the death of another girl with the same name ‘Jyoti Kumari’ is being falsely linked to ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Jyoti Kumari Paswan gained popularity after she cycled from Gurugram to Darbhanga covering more than 1,200 km in seven days with her ailing father Mohan Paswan during the COVID-19 lockdown. US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump had also applauded Jyoti Kumari Paswan in a tweet.
15 yr old Jyoti Kumari, carried her wounded father to their home village on the back of her bicycle covering +1,200 km over 7 days.
This beautiful feat of endurance & love has captured the imagination of the Indian people and the cycling federation!🇮🇳 https://t.co/uOgXkHzBPz
When we searched with keywords on Google about the incident given in the post, news reports were found which state that such an incident took place in Patori village of Bihar. As per a report of ‘Times of India’, a girl named Jyoti Kumari was killed by Arjun Mishra after she was caught stealing mangoes from his orchard.
‘Darbhanga Police’ have posted on Facebook that the news about the death of ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan is fake and she is completely healthy. Also, as per a postmortem report, the death of Jyoti Kumari (of Patori village) was due to electrocution.
The well-known NGO ‘National Crime Investigation Bureau’ has also posted on Facebook clarifying the same that the news about the death of ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan is fake.
To sum it up, the death of a girl ‘Jyoti Kumari’ in Bihar is falsely linked to ‘Cycle girl’ Jyoti Kumari Paswan.
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Debunked photo of a Shivling revived again as an idol unearthed during the excavations in Ayodhya - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 1, 2021
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a Shivling that was unearthed during the excavations at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a Shivling that was unearthed during the excavations at Ayodhya in UP.
Fact: While it is true that some ancient remains of a temple were found at the Ayodhya temple site, the Shivling in the posted photo was not unearthed during the excavations in Ayodhya. It is related to a temple in Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh) and is reportedly around 250 years old. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the posted photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found in an article published by ‘Amar Ujala’ in 2016. In the article, it can be read that the Shivling in the image is related to a temple in Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh). The Shivling in the photo is reportedly around 250 years old.
There were news reports in 2020 regarding the remains of ancient temples such as pillars, idols of deities, and a Shivling which were found during the excavations at the Ayodhya temple site. But the Shivling in the posted photo is not from Ayodhya. Also, FACTLY has previously debunked the same photo when it went viral with a similar claim in 2020.
To sum it up, a debunked photo of a Shivling from Farrukhabad is revived again as an idol unearthed during the excavations in Ayodhya.


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Debunked photo revived again as a photo of poor labourer beaten up during the COVID-19 lockdown - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 23, 2021
A photo of a man with injuries is being shared on social media with a claim – ‘If the rich people who have escaped the screening at airports were lathi-charged in a similar way, then the poor labourers would have escaped this plight’ (English translation). Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a poor labourer beaten during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Fact: The posted photo is not related to the COVID-19 lockdown. The same photo is being shared on the internet at least since December 2017 i.e., much before the discovery of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown due to the pandemic in 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image was run through Google Reverse Image Search, many similar images were found in the search results. Several users have posted the same photo and other photos related to the incident. Those posts can be found seen here, here, and here. But it can be observed that those photos were posted in December 2017 i.e., much before the discovery of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown due to the pandemic in 2020.
The social media posts and news blogs in 2017 have mentioned that the photos are related to an incident in Dhaka. While we could not independently verify that claim, it can be concluded that the photos are not related to the COVID-19 induced lockdown in India. When the same photo along with another photo went viral in 2020 with a similar claim, FACTLY has debunked it and written a fact-check article, which can be read here.
While the photo in the post is not related to the COVID-19 lockdown, some of the reports regarding migrant labourers getting beaten up by the police during the COVID-19 lockdown in India can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, the photo does not show a poor labourer beaten up during the COVID-19 lockdown. The same photo is being shared on the internet at least since December 2017.


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Decadal Review: Cyber-Crimes increased 30-fold between 2010 & 2019
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 9, 2021
In this story of the decadal review, we look at cyber-crimes and suicides due to drug abuse, unemployment, bankruptcy. With the proliferation of smartphones & the internet in these 10 years, the number of reported cyber-crimes increased 30-fold.
The year 2020 marked the end of a decade. In this series about tracking various indicators, we looked at the trend in crimes against the vulnerable during the 2010-2019 period. It is observed that the overall rates of crime against women, rapes, and atrocities against SCs have increased.
In this story, we look at the trend in cyber-crimes, suicides due to drug abuse and alcohol addiction, suicides due to unemployment, and that due to bankruptcy/indebtedness. While the Crime in India report published by National Crime Records Bureau records data on cyber-crimes, NCRB’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides India report has data pertaining to suicides.
With rise the use of Smart Phones & Internet, cyber-crimes increased 30-fold
The past decade witnessed a dramatic rise in the use of smartphones & the internet in India. The launch of affordable smartphones, increased social media usage, dependence on online food delivery and cab services, online money transactions, online streaming services have all contributed to the dramatic rise in the use of the internet. This decade (2010-2019) also brought about many changes in people’s lives due to the increased use of technology. Coupled with this, the tariff of mobile data decreased substantially in these ten years as the user base and demand has surged.
As per TRAI data, there were a total of 52.5 crore mobile connections in India by the end of 2009. This increased to 115.2 crores by October 2020, which is more than twice the number in early 2010. The increase in broadband subscribers (those who use the internet with > 512 Kbps download) is more dramatic. From 78.3 lakh such subscribers by the end of 2009, the number increased to 73.5 crores by the end of October 2020, an increase of more than 94 times.
Such proliferation of the internet also meant an increase in cyber fraud. The NCRB started collating data pertaining to cyber-crime only from 2002. The provisions relating to cyber-crimes are in the Information Technology Act of 2000 and also under the Indian Penal Code. For instance, cases of forgery, misappropriation, etc. come under the IPC.
The total number of reported cyber-crime cases crossed 1000 in the year 2010 when 1,322 cases were reported. This number has increased 30-fold to reach 44,546 cases in 2019, in a span of 10 years.
Rate of Cyber-crime is being reported since 2016
The rate of cyber-crime is being reported by the NCRB from 2016 as it was negligible prior to this. In 2016, one person per lakh population has reported a cyber-crime. The crime rate went up to 1.7 in 2017, 2.1 in 2018, and 3.3 in 2019. However, the actual number of cyber-crimes could be much more since many of these crimes do not get reported.
Extortion, fraud, prank, sexual exploitation, revenge, etc. among leading motives of cyber-crimes
Since cyber-crimes is a new head in the NCRB report, there have been multiple changes made to this section in the past few years. The information has been added and deleted over the years under the cause-wise list. Between 2010-2013, the NCRB classified the motive behind the crime in eight categories which increased to 20 in 2014. The latest 2019 report has 18 columns for recording the motive. This makes the analysis of the motive of cyber-crime complicated. It is observed that the cases of fraud have risen significantly. In fact, in 2019, cases of fraud alone constituted more than 60% of the cyber-crimes. Similarly, there has been an increase in crimes for extortion, prank, sexual exploitation, revenge, and cases of disrepute over the years. The increase in reporting of cyber-crimes could also be because of the improved awareness among the general public.
Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra are among the states where the majority of the cases of cyber-crime got reported in these ten years.
More than 13 lakh suicides in these 10 years
A total of nearly 13.4 lakh persons were reported to have died of suicide in the 2010s. The year 2019 recorded the greatest number of suicides in the last decade with more than 1.39 lakh persons giving up their lives for varied reasons. Studies indicate that persons who are into substance use are at a higher risk of suicide.
Suicides due to drug abuse/alcohol addiction constitute nearly 4% of total suicides
The ADSI report combines the suicides due to drug abuse and alcohol addiction under one head. Suicides due to alcohol addiction and drug abuse constituted nearly 3.7% of the total suicides in the last decade. It is seen that the number of suicides reported under this category has more than doubled from 3,343 cases in 2010 to 7,860 cases in 2019. Except for the dip in 2014 and 2015, there has been a gradual increase in the number of suicides in India due to alcohol addiction and drug abuse.
More than 97% of persons who committed suicide due to alcohol addiction/drug usage were men
Furthermore, more than 97% of the total persons who committed suicide due to alcohol and drug abuse were men. Analysis of data from mega-cities also reveals that suicides due to the said causes were more in rural areas than in mega-cities. This is contradictory to the common notion that drug abuse is more in urban areas. However, this could possibly be attributed to alcohol addiction than drug abuse. Around 80% of such suicides were reported outside the 53 mega-cities in the last few years, as highlighted in an earlier story by Factly. Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of suicides due to drug abuse/alcohol addiction in the last decade while Karnataka has witnessed an increase in the last four years.
Suicides due to unemployment and poverty/indebtedness together account for 4.5% of suicides in the decade
Suicides due to unemployment and poverty/indebtedness together accounted for 4.5% of all the suicides between 2010 & 2019. More than 60 thousand persons committed suicide because of these two reasons, according to ADSI.
2019 recorded highest number of suicides due to unemployment in the last 10 years
Suicides due to unemployment was the highest in 2019 in these ten years with majority of the victims in the 18 to 30 years age bracket. As is evident from the graph below, the suicides due to unemployment have been on an increasing trend in the last four years. The least number of such suicides was recorded in 2012 which was the only year when the number of suicides due to unemployment went below 2000 in these 10 years.
About 88% of the victims were men
About 88% of those who died of suicide due to unemployment were men with women constituting the remaining 12%. Studies have highlighted that being unemployed was associated with two to threefold increase in the relative risk of suicide as compared to those employed.
Suicides due to indebtedness has more than doubled
Personal debt and financial distress can result in anxiety and depression which increases the risk of suicide. Suicides due to bankruptcy/indebtedness has more than doubled in the ten years, from 2,709 in 2010 to 5,908 in 2019. The average number of suicides for the said reason was about 2600 in the first half of the decade and above 4800 in the latter half. About 91% of those who committed suicide in the last decade due to indebtedness or bankruptcy were men. Those aged between 30 to 45 years of age constituted more than 40% of the total in 2019.
Featured Image: Cyber-Crimes increase

created: January 9, 2021