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Data: Number of Cases Registered Under CLPR Act Not in Consonance With Census Numbers on Child Labour
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 18, 2023
Data from the NCRB reports indicates that the number of cases registered under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 increased till 2019 and then reduced. While 45% of these cases were reported from the Southern states, they make up for only 19% of the Child Labour in India as per 2011 Census.
Even though children in India in the age group of six to 14 years are guaranteed free and compulsory education by the Constitution and are to be provided mid-day meals, there are still millions who are victims of child labour. ‘Child labour’ is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. While poverty is both cause and consequence of child labour, it hinders a child’s access to education resulting in the further perpetuation of household poverty. Moreover, they even miss out on the opportunity to gain decent work in adulthood due to a lack of skills and education.
Over the years, India has come up with legal measures to curb the issue of child labour. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 prohibits the engagement of children in certain employments and for regulating the conditions of work of children in certain other employments. However, it did not prevent the engagement of children under 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. Following the amendment to the 1986 Act in 2016, the legislation puts a complete ban on the employment of children below 14 years and also prohibits the employment of adolescents aged 14-18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. The amendment also imposes an imprisonment of six months to two years and/or a penalty of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 for violation. For repeated offence, the period of imprisonment can extend to 3 years.
Cases registered under the Act increased by 29% in 2021
The Crime in India Report released annually by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) provides statistics on the number of cases registered under the Child Labour Prohibition & Regulation Act, 1986 with the state/UT police departments in each calendar year.
A total of 2,991 cases have been registered under the Act between 2016 and 2021. As per the NCRB reports, the number of cases doubled in 2017 as compared to 2016, which may be because of the amendment made to the Act. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of cases increased by 67%. In 2020, the number dropped by 38% to pre-2019 levels before increasing by 29% in 2021. On average, two cases were registered every day in 2021. A plausible explanation for the drop in 2020 could be the pandemic and the resultant lockdown which may have reduced the reporting of such cases as studies highlight how child labour may have increased following the pandemic.
3 in 10 cases registered under the CLPR were in Telangana between 2016 and 2021
Of the 2,991 cases registered in the last six years, Telangana alone contributed to 29% of cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh accounting for 15% and Karnataka accounting for almost 12%. In other words, 56% of the cases registered under this act were from the 3 states. Including Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh, the 10 states were responsible for more than 90% of the cases reported in the six years under consideration. Another observation is that 45% of the cases were registered in the five South Indian states. On the other hand, the eight Empowered Action Group (EAG) states accounted for only 18% of the cases with Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh reporting less than 1%.
Cases registered in Maharashtra and Rajasthan have declined over the years
The trend in cases registered in states like Telangana, Bihar, Karnataka, and Gujarat is similar to that at the national level while states like Assam, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of cases in 2021. Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh reported the highest number of cases in 2020. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and northeastern states except Assam have reported less than 7 cases each in the six years.
Between 2017 and 2020, the cases in Maharashtra dropped to almost one-fifth before increasing in 2021. Rajasthan also reported a decline in cases registered, from 99 in 2017 to 19 in 2021. Cases registered in Telangana increased from 6 in 2016 to 314 in 2019. In 2019, the state was responsible for 41% of the cases in the country which dropped to 37% in 2021. There was a rise in cases in Jharkhand between 2017 and 2020 before dropping to the least in 2021.
More than 10 million children were engaged in child labour as per the 2011 Census
The data from the NCRB report gives a picture of the cases registered under the Act alone. It should be noted that not all cases of child labour get reported at police stations. However, there is no other recent comprehensive data source for child labour in the country. The decennial Census is the only source of such data and the latest Census data available is that of 2011, more than a decade old. The Census 2021 has not yet begun.
As per the Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group of five to 14 years was 259.6 million (or 25.9 crores) of which 10.13 million (1.01 crore making up about 3.9%) were engaged in child labour. This figure includes 8.1 million or 81 lakhs from rural areas and 2.02 million or 20.2 lakhs from urban areas. Compared to 2001, the number had dropped by over 25 lakhs in 2021.
The Census data further revealed that the number of children who worked for more than 6 months (main workers) in the age group of five to 14 years was the highest in Uttar Pradesh with 8.96 lakh children followed by Maharashtra (4.96 lakhs) and Bihar (4.52 lakhs). The 8 EAG states alone had 2.1 lakh working children in this age group making up nearly 50% of the total. On the contrary, southern states made up about 19%. These figures are contradictory to the NCRB’s findings and clearly indicate the skewed reporting across states.
National Child Labour Project is a Central Sector Scheme for rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labour
The government is implementing National Child Labour Project (NCLP) under which children are withdrawn from work and put into Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health-care facilities, etc. and finally mainstreamed to the formal education system. Further, awareness generation campaigns against the evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws through electronic and print media is also conducted under the scheme.
Under NCLP, in the five years between 2016-17 and 2020-21, a total of 2.42 lakh children have been rescued/withdrawn from work, rehabilitated and mainstreamed, according to data from Rajya Sabha. About half of these children were from West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh alone. Over the years, the number of children being rescued has also been increasing.  Nonetheless, this number is only a small portion of that reported by the Census. That is, only a small portion of the children are being rescued while many continue to be victims. The majority of the victims are from marginalized sections of society.
Considering the grave nature of child labour, India needs to come up with more intensive measures and stringent rules to eliminate the practice. To clearly understand the magnitude and distribution of the practice, India needs comprehensive up-to-date data which can also help in using targeted interventions to tackle the problems. One thing that is evident is that India has a long way to go to achieve the target of eliminating child labour by 2025 which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals.


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Number of Complaints received by NHRC regarding Human Rights Defenders increased in last 3 years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 13, 2020
The NHRC has a dedicated focal point that prioritises complaints alleging harassment of Human Rights Defenders by or at the instance of Public Authorities. Data from the NHRC indicates that the number of such complaints have increased in the last 3 years and most complaints were received from UP, Tamil Nadu & Odisha.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), states that Human Rights are rights that Humans have, simply by the providence of existence. These are not granted by any state or authority and are universally inherent to all human beings across the world.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted in 1948 by UN General Assembly stands as the foundation for all international human rights law. India is not only a signatory to UDHR , but also historically had contributed to the development & adoption of the same.
Over the 70 years of its existence, UDHR has enabled the protection & propagation of human rights across various countries. However, there have also been many instances of human right violations perpetrated by governments, groups and individuals. In spite of the efforts of various governments to take cognizance & act upon these human right violations, the incidents do occur at large. In many an instance, people suffering violations are not even aware of the rights and the due process that can secure them justice.
In such a context, Human Right Activists/Defenders (HRDs) play a key role in bringing to light Human Right Violations  and fight for the respective causes. However, these actions by HRDs could potentially result in a threat from the perpetrators of the violations.
Measures are taken globally to protect the rights of such Human Rights Defenders. In India, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken initiatives to protect and provide justice for the Human Rights Defenders.
However, there have been growing concerns of harassment of HRDs in the country. In this context, we take a look at the measures in place in India to protect HRDs and provide them. We also look at the trend of such complaints over the last few years.
Focal Point for Human Right Defenders set up by NHRC to prioritise complaints
The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, 1998 recognises the importance and legitimacy of the work of Human Rights defenders as well as the need for better protection. In India, the NHRC is mandated under Section 12(i) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 to encourage the efforts of Non-governmental organizations & institutions working in the field of Human Rights.
Furthermore, in compliance with UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, NHRC has taken initiatives to promote the development of protective mechanism for Human Rights Defenders, of which even the State Human Rights Commissions are a part of.
As per one of the recommendations of Workshop on Human Rights Defenders – 2009, A Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders was set up by NHRC. The purpose is to prioritise complaints alleging harassment of Human Rights Defenders by or at the instance of Public Authorities. The Focal Point needs to ensure that the complaints of harassment of Human Rights Defenders are placed before the Commission (NHRC) and the directions are complied with on priority.
Few of the steps taken by NHRC to protect Human Rights Defenders include the following.
Uttar Pradesh followed by Tamil Nadu & Odisha account for the highest number of complaints in the past 4 years.
As per data available on the NHRC website, as on date, 62 complaints were registered in 2020 with respect to violations against Human Rights Defenders in India. The trend since 2017-18 indicates that an increasing number of complaints are registered with NHRC. As per NHRC Annual Report, 53 complaints were received for 2015-16, which nearly doubled to 98 the next year. After a fall in 2017-18, the number of cases increased year on year.
Based on the information provided in the respective annual reports, it is observed that the number of cases being disposed-off by NHRC has increased. As per the latest annual report of 2017-18, a total of 98 cases were disposed of while this was only 23 during the year 2015-16.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on 20September’2020, the government provided information about the number of complaints registered with NHRC regarding violations of Human Rights of HRDs in various states.
As per this information, Uttar Pradesh has accounted for the highest number of complaints during the period 2017-20 (till 31 August 2020) with a total of 52 such complaints. It ought to be noted that the number of complaints from U.P has increased year on year with 3, 15 & 26 in 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20 respectively.
After Uttar Pradesh, highest number of complaints were received from Tamil Nadu (33 complaints) during this period, followed by Odisha with 26 complaints.
NHRC directs Chhattisgarh Government to compensate activists implicated in false cases
Monetary compensation to the victims of Human Rights Violations is one of the measures by NHRC to provide relief to the victims. Every year, the NHRC directs respective authorities to provide the required monetary compensation to victims in numerous cases. However, this has not generally been the case for complaints regarding violations against Human Rights Defenders.
In the answer provided in the Lok Sabha in September 2020, the Union Government stated that NHRC has recommended monetary relief to the tune of Rs. 13.25 lakhs in five cases involving Human Right Defenders in last three years.
A review of the various cases disposed by NHRC shows that the directions are more in the nature of closure of the cases by the authorities in the instances where the cases are false. Monetary compensation is generally recommended in case of death or severe injury to the activists.
An example is the case (Case no: 2452/22/37/2019)  related to a Dalit Human Right Defender Ashok in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. As per the complaint received by NHRC on 03 September 2019, the activist was brutally murdered by a gang of Upper caste people on 12 June 2019.
The NHRC took cognizance of the complaint and as per the report submitted by the IG of Police, it was understood that the authorities have taken the necessary action and have arrested the accused. The family of the victim was given a compensation of Rs. 4.25 lakhs through the District Collector.
However, in relation to other cases like unlawful detention, false cases, arrests etc , there is not much evidence of any monetary compensation recommended by the NHRC.
In a one-of-its kind action so far, the NHRC has this year directed the government of Chhattisgarh to pay compensation to 13 activists for filing false cases against them.
The 13 activists include 6 activists of a fact-finding mission in Bastar  district, to understand the living conditions of Tribals. Chhattisgarh police filed a FIR on 05 November 2016 under various sections of IPC, Arms Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)  for an alleged murder, based on a false complaint. Based on a Supreme Court directions,  the charges were dropped in 2019 because of no substantial evidence.
Another case was filed in 2016, on a team of  activists & lawyers from Telangana in Bastar, Chhattisgarh regarding an incident of burning effigies. Even they were later acquitted of all the charges.
Responding to a complaint (667/33/20/2016), the NHRC on 13February 2020, concluded that the Chhattisgarh government ought to pay a monetary compensation to the activists & lawyers in both these cases in view of the mental trauma & agony caused due to the false implication in the cases.
However, it has been reported that the activists were not given any information from the government regarding this order till August. The NHRC taking cognizance of the mental trauma and other aspects regarding false cases on the activists is a welcome step as the earlier precedence was more about recommending compensation for loss of life or severely hurt.  Recommending such compensation could dissuade the authorities from filing false cases. However, a lot of this depends on governments heeding to the directions of the NHRC.
The NHRC needs to take more proactive action in dealing with such complaints to prevent authorities from implicating HRDs in false cases. The monetary compensation for false charges could be a way forward in that direction.
Featured Image: NHRC on Human Rights Defenders

source: news-factly

created: November 13, 2020

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Data: Number of Complaints with NHRC down by almost 40% in six years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2021
Data shared by the government indicates that the number of complaints regarding human rights violations filed with the NHRC has reduced by almost 40% between 2015-16 & 2020-21. The fall in complaints is due to the more than 50% fall in complaints from Uttar Pradesh, Odisha & Haryana.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established for the protection and promotion of human rights in India. It was established as a statutory body under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (PHRA).
The act further lays down the functions and powers of NHRC. This includes – conducting enquiries into the petitions received regarding violation of human rights, intervene in any human right violations, review the safeguards, etc.  The NHRC comes up with recommendations in these various cases, where it feels that the officials have not taken appropriate action in tune with the human rights violations and can also recommend compensation.
A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), highlights that there have been many human rights violations by the government against various people and groups who have voiced their opinion contrary to the government’s stand. It also highlights the human rights violations against the marginalised communities due to COVID-19 induced lockdown, where-in they had a loss of access to basic needs.
A report by Amnesty International further asserts the observations made by HRW, regarding the violations against the dissenters of the government policies. The report further highlights the plight of the migrants & marginalised sections during the lockdown and also the apathy showed by the law-enforcement authorities and governments towards violations and crimes committed by vigilante groups.
We had earlier written a story regarding the human rights violations against the Human rights defenders and analysed the trends in the complaints lodged, resolved, etc.  In a response provided in Rajya Sabha in March 2021, the government stated that PHRA-1993 was amended in 2019 to strengthen the functioning of NHRC, which includes increasing the personnel in NHRC among others. We take a look at the trends in the complaints received by NHRC over the years.
Declining trend in the number of complains registered with NHRC
In the same response in Rajya Sabha, the government furnished the details of the complaints received by the Commission. NHRC also maintains a live dashboard of the complaints received by the institution. As per the dashboard, over 85 thousand cases were disposed of between 01 April 2020 and 15 April 2021. During this period, 78.9 thousand new complaints were received while around 12.4 thousand cases are under process.
As per the information provided in the Rajya Sabha, during the year 2015-16, NHRC received 1.17 lakh complaints from across the country.  In the ensuing two years, there has been a steeper fall in the number of new complaints received in a particular financial year. During 2016-17, the number of complaints with NHRC fell to 91.8 thousand which further fall to 79.6 lakh thousand in 2017-18.
Although the number of complaints increased in 2018-19 to 89.5 thousand, the number fell again in 2019-20 with only 76.6 thousand cases registered in 2019-20. As per the latest information provided in Rajya Sabha, only around 68.4 thousand cases were registered until 28 February 2021, for the year 2020-21 i.e., in the 11 months period. The trend of the last few years does indicate an overall decline in the number of complaints received by the NHRC.
The decline in the number of complaints is contrary to the reports presented by various Human rights organizations across the world that talk about increased rights violations.  One of the plausible explanations could be a lack of awareness in seeking the assistance of NHRC and other reasons such as coercion by authorities not to approach the commission.
The fall in the number of complaints can be attributed to the declining trend in U.P, Haryana & Odisha
During 2019-20, there were 32.6 thousand complaints registered from Uttar Pradesh. This constitutes around 43% of the total complaints that were registered across the country in the year. The proportion has dipped compared to the previous years with the cases in U.P constituting 48.5% (2017-18) and 46.8% (2018-19). The effect of the decline in complaints from the U.P is reflective in the overall decline of new complaints received at the national level. In 2015-16, around 49.7 thousand complaints were registered with NHRC from U.P alone.
Odisha and Haryana are the other two states which have had a higher number of complaints with NHRC. Even these states have shown a decline in the number of complaints by NHRC in recent years. During 2016-17, the number of complaints from both these states nearly halved compared to 2015-16 and continued to largely follow a declining trend over the ensuing years.
Few of the significant trends among the states include :
Majority of the ‘Nature of complaints’ are categorised under the ambiguous ‘Miscellaneous’ category
Apart from providing the details on the number of complaints received year-on-year and by States/UTs, the response in Rajya Sabha also included the categorization by the nature of complaints. The two major categories under which the complaints are categorized are ‘Miscellaneous’ & ‘Police’.
As per the information available until 28February 2021, around 24 thousand complaints were categorised as ‘Miscellaneous’ in 2020-21 i.e., around 35% of all the complaints in the year. Even during the earlier five years I.e., 2015-16 to 2019-20, the share of complaints categorised as ‘Miscellaneous’ ranged between 30-35%.  In other words, more than three out of every 10 complaints were categorized under this ambiguous category.
‘Police’ is the major non-ambiguous category. However, its share among the total complaints has come down over the years. In 2015-16, around 30% of the complaints were categorized as under ‘Police’ which has gradually reduced in the more recent years to 17.5% during 2020-21.
The number of complaints has reduced across most other categories.  Closer scrutiny reveals a fall in the number of complaints received under a few of the major heads, including ‘Women’,  ‘SC/ST/OBC’, ‘Labour’ etc. It has to be noted that all these are the traditionally marginalized sections of society.
Need for facilitation for increased reporting of complaints with NHRC
One of the main purposes of NHRC is to hear the grievances related to Human Rights violations in the country. A key aspect to ensure that NHRC is able to deliver on this mandate is to have a mechanism where the complaints of human rights violations are received with minimal roadblocks.
The overall fall in the number of NHRC complaints could also be attributed to an improving Human Rights situation in the country. However, the reports & studies by national & international Human rights agencies provide a different narrative. The various incidents being reported from across the country also do not strengthen any claim of improved Human Rights situation. Therefore, the fall in the number of complaints could be due to the challenges in lodging complaints with NHRC.
It has to be noted that the fall in complaints is noticed majorly in the states like U.P, Haryana & Odisha which form the major portion of the NHRC complaints.
Furthermore, tagging a major section of complaints under ‘Miscellaneous’ does not help in analysing the nature of complaints received by NHRC. While NHRC has been claiming the improvements made in hearing and disposal of the complaints, this automatically does not translate into creating a suitable environment to make complaints against human rights violations. The NHRC would do well to analyse the actual reasons for the fall in complaints and take corrective action if necessary.
Featured Image: Complaints with NHRC


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Data: Number of Forcefully Displaced Persons Worldwide Crossed 100 million in 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2024
The intensity, scale, and speed international migration have increased in recent decades, albeit due to varying reasons. The sheer magnitude of people on the move is fundamentally altering the global landscape, creating new realities, and reshaping the world order. Data from UNHCR indicates that the number of forcefully displaced persons crossed the 100 million mark in 2022 and continued to increase even in 2023.
Human migration has become a defining phenomenon of this era, with more people now living outside their birthplace than ever before. The intensity, scale, and speed of this movement have increased in recent decades. The sheer magnitude of people on the move is fundamentally altering the global landscape, creating new realities, and reshaping the world order. These movements are either fuelled by desires and ambitions or for sheer survival and escape from life-threatening conditions. Either way, the movement of humans has significant implications for the global world order.
In this story, we explore the trends and the numbers of migration using the recently released World Migration Report, 2024.
One in every thirty are international migrants, data shows over 200% rise in International Migrants Over the Past Five Decades.
Tracking migration is often difficult due to the varying patterns and diversities worldwide. Given the level to which migration has become a politicised topic, this difficulty in tracking migration could make it more prone to misinformation globally. Nevertheless, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division estimates there were about 281 million international migrants in 2020, representing 3.6% of the global population. This is a more than 200% rise from 1970 when the international migrants were estimated to be at 84 million.
In 2020, international migrants made up 3.6% of the global population, a slight increase from 3.4% in 2015 and 3.2% in 2010. In 1970, this share was 2.3%. Despite decades of migration, these figures show that most people still remain in their birth countries. Only one in every thirty are migrants. While many migrate within their own nations, those who move internationally mainly do so for work, family, or education. These migrations are safe, orderly, and regular, and they do not pose significant challenges to either the migrants or the countries they move to. The majority of international migrants, totalling 79.6% or 190 million individuals, were residing in countries classified as having exceedingly high Human Development Index (HDI) rankings.
In 2020, over 40% of all international migrants globally hailed from Asia. Half of them came from six countries: India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Afghanistan.
Global Remittance flows at 860 billion USD in 2023.
Remittances are money or goods that migrants send directly to their families or communities in their home countries. These transfers play a crucial role in supporting households and local economies, often providing essential income for recipients. They have the multiplier effect, where the money received through remittances is often spent locally, stimulating economic activity, and generating additional income and employment opportunities within the community.
Despite various data gaps, definitional differences, and methodological challenges, the World Bank collects global data on international remittances. Global remittance flows are estimated to have reached $860 billion in 2023, up from $836 billion in 2022, marking a 3% increase from the previous year. It is expected that this growth rate will remain the same in 2024 as well. Furthermore, on average, the remittances to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) out of the total remittances grew from 48% in 1990 to 78% in 2023.
In 2023, the top five remittance recipient countries were India, Mexico, China, the Philippines, and Egypt, in that order. India stood out with inward remittances surpassing $125 billion in 2023 and $111 billion in 2022, making it the first country to exceed the $100 billion mark.
Almost 110 million people are estimated to be forcefully displaced worldwide in 2023.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, defines Forced displacement happens when individuals and communities are compelled to flee or leave their homes due to events like armed conflict, widespread violence, human rights abuses, natural or human-caused disasters, and development projects. This includes both those who flee and those who are forcibly removed, evicted, or relocated to places not of their choosing by either state or non-state actors. The key element is the lack of voluntary choice or consent. Usually, the people forcefully displaced include refugees (including those not under UNHCR’s mandate), asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, and others requiring international protection.
As of mid-2023, the number of forcibly displaced individuals is estimated at 110 million worldwide, with more than thirty-six million refugees and sixty-two million internally displaced persons (IDPs). This is a slight increase of 1.6 million (1%) from 108.4 million in 2022. Incidentally, 2022 is the first time when the number of forcefully displaced persons crossed one hundred million. On average, 60% of them are internally displaced persons (IDPs), and refugees account for an average of 34%.
Approximately 8% of refugees get resettled globally in 2022.
Many refugees cannot return home due to ongoing conflicts, wars, and persecution. Additionally, many live in dangerous conditions or have specific needs that cannot be met in their current country of asylum. In these cases, the UNHCR assists in resettling refugees to a third country. Resettlement involves transferring refugees from their asylum country to another state that agrees to admit them and eventually grants them permanent residence. Under its Statute and UN General Assembly Resolutions, the UNHCR is mandated to pursue resettlement as one of three durable solutions.
The data on resettlements of refugees show that approximately 8% of the refugees in need are resettled in 2022, up from 3.97% in 2021 and 2.39% in 2020. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, the resettlement proportion was at 7.54% and in 2018 at 7.73%.
Need a new paradigm on migration.
Migration has always played a vital role in human history, driving globalization and advancement. Migration is intricately linked to global inequalities and the persistent demand for cheap labour. Like any other group, migrants actively shape their destinies in response to available opportunities.
Concerns about migrants posing risks to national security have existed throughout history. Migrants are often referred to in dehumanizing terms like “waves,” “flows,” and “masses.” Policymakers who perpetuate populist narratives of replacement, by vilification of migration, no matter how subtle, bear significant responsibility.
There must be efforts for a world where migration is empowering but not obligatory. Achieving this requires moving beyond oversimplified narratives of migration, beyond fearmongering, and beyond reductionist labels and stories.


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Data: Number of Humans Killed in Tiger Attacks Increased Significantly in last Few Years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 1, 2024
The number of people killed in Tiger attacks crossed the 100 mark in 2022, a significant increase compared to the previous years. Close to 500 people lost their lives in Tiger attacks between 2014 & 2022. On the other hand, more than 4000 people lost their lives in Elephant attacks between 2012-13 and 2020-21.
Owing to its varied ecosystems, ranging from dense forests to arid deserts, India is home to diverse wildlife including tigers, elephants, rhinos, deer, and many others. However, due to the limited nature of natural resources in the country, there has been increasing competition between humans and wildlife in accessing and utilising the resources, paving the way for conflicts. Though it sounds simple, human-wildlife conflict is a highly complex issue that is the amalgamation of ecology, human and wildlife behaviour, socio-economics, politics, and geography. These conflicts have a significant effect on the conservation of flora and fauna and pose a hindrance to human livelihoods and safety.
Human Wildlife Conflicts are multidimensional in nature
When understanding conflicts, various dimensions need to be considered. Anthropogenic factors include infrastructural development, encroachment, settlement, and livelihoods while the population of wildlife, migratory patterns, their habitat & degradation are some of the wildlife dimensions to be considered. The visible impacts of the conflicts on humans include damaged crops, buildings, food insecurity and casualties & injury. In this story, we look at the trends in the human death toll arising out of attacks involving two major mammals – tigers and elephants, about which data was provided in response to various parliament questions over the years. The two are crucial keystone species, playing pivotal roles in maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity.
Data for this story has been compiled from responses to various parliament questions. Concerning the data related to tigers, the data is available for calendar years whereas for elephants, the related data has been given for financial years. The data in the responses has been provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, and is based on data provided to the Environment Ministry by respective states.
State forest officials are responsible for dealing with human wildlife conflicts
Usually, the Conservator of Forest (CF) of the Forest Circle and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)/ Wildlife Warden (WW) are responsible for dealing with the wildlife conflicts in their jurisdiction. They are overseen by the concerned state government. As per the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which is one of the key legislations concerning wildlife conservation in India, the central government sets the framework and guidelines while the states are responsible for managing and implementing these laws within their respective territories. In the case of death, persons from the Police Department and Revenue Department will be involved along with the Forest Department for carrying out documentation and post-mortem.
Close to 500 people lost their lives in tiger attacks between 2014 and 2022
A total of 497 people were reported to have lost their lives in tiger attacks in the last nine years between 2014 and 2022. That is, an average of 55 people died in tiger attacks each year. About one-third of these total deaths were reported in 2021 and 2022. The year 2022 recorded the highest number of deaths in a year with 112 deaths. Since 2018, there has been a consistent rise in the death toll.
4 out of 10 deaths were recorded in Maharashtra alone
Most of the human deaths due to tiger attacks between 2014 and 2022 were reported from Maharashtra, which accounted for more than 43% of the total deaths in the nine-year period for which data is available. West Bengal recorded the second highest, with 85 deaths followed by Uttar Pradesh with 76 deaths. Together, these three states accounted for 75% of the deaths reported across the country.
In Maharashtra, there has been a substantial increase in the deaths reported over the years. While 7 deaths were reported in 2015, the number increased to 85 in 2022. On the other hand, the number has dropped in West Bengal during the same period, from 18 in 2015 to 1 in 2022. Even Madhya Pradesh has seen a decline in deaths despite being the state with the highest tiger population, as per the Tiger Census 2023. Maharashtra had 40% fewer tigers and yet reported more than 4 times the number of deaths.
While Assam recorded no deaths since 2019, Bihar reported a total of 14 deaths, all between 2020 and 2022. States with relatively higher tiger population- Uttarakhand and Karnataka recorded a total of 13 and 10 deaths, respectively during this period.
No deaths were reported from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Mizoram despite having tiger populations.
Average of 470 lives lost in elephant attacks every year
Elephant attacks claimed 4,220 human lives in the nine years between 2012-13 and 2020-21. On average, 469 people died every year, or 9 every week. The highest number of deaths were recorded in 2019-20. Apart from a higher population, elephant behaviour could also be a reason for the higher fatalities. Unlike tigers, elephants interact more with human settlements or agricultural areas, increasing the likelihood of conflicts. This can be in search of food, or due to migration and habitat fragmentation.
States in the East account for 10% of elephant population but 60% of the deaths
Among states, the highest number of deaths during the period were reported in Odisha (756), followed by West Bengal (704), and Assam (664). Jharkhand too reported more than 600 deaths. More than 400 deaths each were reported in Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka recorded 290 deaths and Kerala recorded 153 deaths between 2012-13 and 2020-21. In terms of elephant population as per the Project Elephant’s report from 2017, the elephant population was the highest in Karnataka, followed by Kerala and Assam.
Though the states in the south (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra) as per the elephant population estimation account for nearly half the elephant population, this region accounts for only about one-fifth of the deaths. In contrast, the states that fall in the eastern region (Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand) as per the report host about 10% of the elephant population but account for 60% of the deaths. The state-wise trends can be seen in the following chart.
Compensation is paid for loss of life, injury, and loss of property
Ex-gratia compensation is paid by the government for loss of life and property. For loss of life or permanent incapacitation, the compensation can go up to Rs. 5 lakhs and for grievous injury it can go up to Rs. 2 lakhs.
While it is an important mechanism to redress grievances and assuage the feelings of the community, it is often criticized for being a lengthy and time-consuming procedure. Late disbursal and insufficient amounts are also highlighted. The amount paid by each state is also different. For instance, Maharashtra pays Rs. 10 lakhs to the kin of the victim for loss of life while Karnataka government pays Rs.15 Lakhs.
Centrally sponsored schemes are being implemented to deal with conflicts
Elephants and tigers are the flagship species. That is, they draw attention to the importance of preserving entire ecosystems and serve as rallying points for conservation initiatives. For their conservation, the government has ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ which also includes measures towards management of human-wildlife conflict, sponsored by the Union government. Some of the physical measures taken are habitat management, early warning systems, fencing and barriers, community engagement, crop and livestock protection, and relocation and translocation.
The government also has the ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’, a centrally sponsored scheme through which financial assistance is provided to states for the said cause. Measures are also taken by private NGOs to mitigate the same. The Environment Ministry also has a portal to register incidents of Human Wildlife Conflicts.
Featured Image: Tiger Attacks

created: January 1, 2024


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Data: Number of ‘Missing Children’ cases increase to 1.2 lakh in 2019
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 6, 2020
Following the Supreme Court directions, the National Crime Records Bureau began reporting the number of missing & traced children as a separate category from 2016. Between 2015 & 2019, the total number of cases of missing children in India increased by about 16.3%. Kerala tops the tracing rate at around 94% in 2019.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has defined missing child as ‘a person below 18 years of age, whose whereabouts are not known to the parents, legal guardians, and any other persons who may be legally entrusted with the custody of the child, whatever may be the circumstances/causes of disappearance’. Every year, as reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), thousands of children are reported to have gone missing in India. Many of them are traced by the police within a short span of time while the others are either never found or are found as victims of misfortune. The NCRB started reporting detailed data on missing & traced persons including Children from 2016 onwards following the Supreme Court’s direction. Even prior to 2016, the data was available though it was not reported. We look at the broad trend in missing children across the country and in states, in the last few years.
An average of 200 Children go missing in India every day
In 2019, about 73,138 children were reportedly missing. This means that an average of 200 children were reported missing each day and 8 each hour. The concerning aspect of this is that 71% of this number are girls. Girls made up 52,049 missing cases in 2019 while boys accounted for 21,074 cases. It has also been reported that 15 transgender children went missing in 2019. Compared to 2018, the total number of cases of missing children increased by almost 9%. The number of missing boys increased by 6.5% while that of missing girls increased by over 10%. Data on transgenders was included only in 2018.
In 2019, 11 states accounted for 80% of the Missing Children
Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of missing children cases in 2019, with 11,022 cases contributing to nearly 15% of the national total. The state also accounts for the greatest number of girls and boys reported missing. West Bengal, Bihar, and Delhi were the other states/UT to have recorded more than 5000 missing children cases each. Together, these four states/UT together account for about 45% of all cases in the country. Together with the cases in these 4 States/UTs, the number of cases recorded in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, account for 80% of the missing children cases in 2019. It has to be noted that these 11 States/UT together accounted for almost 75% of the population under 18 years as per the 2011 Census.
Cases in Maharashtra more than doubled in 2019 while in Karnataka, cases halved
In Maharashtra, the number of missing children cases increased by 166.6% in 2019 when compared to 2018. Rajasthan and Odisha too have recorded an increase, by 42% and 35% respectively. A total of 16 states have recorded an increase in cases compared to 2018. Meanwhile, number of such cases in Karnataka halved in 2019 in comparison to 2018.
Total number of children missing has increased by 16.3% in five years
Since 2015, the number of children reported to have gone missing in a particular year is the highest in 2019. In the five-year period from 2015-2019,  the number of missing children cases reported in a specific year increased by 21%, from 60,443 in 2015 to 73,138 in 2019.  Further, the gender wise trend reveals that the number of girls reported missing each year has increased by an alarming 42.2%. In the case of boys, the number dropped by 17% and went below 20,000 in 2018. However, it has slightly increased by 6.5% in 2019.
While the number of missing children cases reported in a particular year have been less than 75,000, the total number of missing children cases has been more than a lakh in each of the years from 2015 to 2019. This is due to the fact that not all children who go missing in a particular year are traced in the same year. The untraced cases get added to the fresh cases in the following year, which then becomes the total number of missing cases for that year.
By the end of 2019, over 1.19 Lakh children were missing, including those who were not traced from previous years. This number is the highest since 2015 and has increased by over 16.3% over these five years.
Only 60% of the Missing Children were traced in 2019
In the year 2019, only about 60% of the missing children which is 71,253 out of almost 1.2 Lakh were traced. However, the number of children being traced has increased over the years, from 54,449 in 2015 to 71,253 in 2019. Even in terms of percentage, the share of missing children traced over the years has increased from about 53% in 2015 to around 60% in 2019. There remains a large number of children still missing every year despite the improvement in tracing.
Cases in Bihar has increased by 252%
Among the states, the total number of children reported missing has decreased consistently between 2015 & 2019 only in the state of Karnataka. Even Assam has witnessed a marginal reduction in the cases reported during this period. On the other hand, the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Bihar have witnessed a sharp increase in the number of missing children cases. In fact, in Bihar, the total number of missing children cases has increased by over 252% in five years. In Punjab, the number has gone up by 142% in five years. In Chhattisgarh,  the number increased by 66% while in Madhya Pradesh, the number increased by 33.5%. Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand reported an increase of 38.8% in the number of missing children cases during the same period.
94% of the Missing Children were traced in Kerala in 2019
The percentage of children getting traced is the least in Odisha, at around 27% in 2019. The same in Punjab is 27.8% and has been decreasing over the last five years. Among the larger states apart from Punjab and Odisha, Bihar where almost 42% of the children have been traced in 2019, is among the lowest. On the other hand, Kerala has consistently traced more than 80% of the missing children each year. In 2019, about 94% of the missing children were traced. Telangana has consistently traced more than 70% of the children. In 2019, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh traced 86% and 83% of the missing children respectively.
The number of Missing Children is expected to increase in 2020
The numbers in the NCRB’s annual report are only those which have been reported to the police. Like in the case of other crimes, there could be thousands of cases of missing children which never get reported to the police.  It also has to be noted that kidnapping and abductions, trafficking, children who run away on their own, or forced to run away due to the circumstances at home, due to domestic violence, or a teenager eloping are all registered as missing children. Children can be even cheated into prostitution and slavery in promise of a better future. Thus, the actual numbers could be much higher.
It is also speculated that the number of missing children cases may increase substantially in 2020 as a result of the nationwide lockdown which has significantly affected the economy and resulted in large scale job losses. There could be an increase in child labour, increase in cases of trafficking among other issues.
What are the existing Government initiatives?
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has a dedicated website to aid in development of a national tracking system for missing and vulnerable children. Furthermore, a 24*7 child helpline number 1098, Railways Childline, etc. are being operated by the central government. At the state level, police work in tandem with many Non-Governmental Organisations. While studying the issue, the Justice Verma committee, in 2013, stated that the trafficking laws and IPC on slavery must be amended and made more stringent to tackle the problem of trafficking.
Featured Image: Missing Children cases in India

created: November 6, 2020


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Data: Number of New Female EPF Subscribers (in 18-25 Age-Group) in 2021-22 Higher Than Even 2018-19
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2022
The EPF payroll data released by the government monthly indicates that the overall number of new EPF subscribers in 2021-22 is still lower than 2018-19. However, females in the age-group of 18-25 bucked this trend.
In the previous story, we analysed broader trends in EPF membership. Trends indicate a proportionally higher increase in the number of re-joinees compared to new subscriptions. The Provisional monthly estimates of Payroll reports also provide an age-wise breakup of the EPF subscribers. This story provides a deeper understanding of the EPF membership trends age-group-wise.
Despite an increase, the New EPF subscribers in 2021-22 less than pre-pandemic figures across most age-groups.
In the previous story, we highlighted that there is an increase in the number of new subscribers to EPF during 2021-22 compared to the pandemic hit 2020-21. However, despite this increase, the number of new EPF subscribers is lower than the figures prior to the pandemic.
Age-group-wise figures also reflect the same trend. Across most age groups, there is an increase in the number of new EPF subscribers in 2021-22, but the annual numbers are still less than pre-2020 figures. However, the proportion of growth varies across age groups except for the 18-25 years age group.
There is a higher increase in the new subscribers in the age groups between 18-28 years compared to those more than 28 years. This is understandable since the 18-28 age group could be first-time job seekers while most in the more than 28 age group may be changing jobs.
Higher increase of Re-joinees among the age groups between 26-35
The overall trend among the exited members is that there is an increase during 2021-22 compared to 2020-21.  This is reflected across all age groups. In comparison, the proportionate increase in the number of exited members is higher within the age groups of 26-28 and 29-35 years. It ought to be noted that the growth of new subscribers is lower in these two age groups, compared to the younger age groups. This indicates a higher proportion of left employment among the middle-aged groups (26-35) compared to the younger age groups, in 2021-22. This either could be due to the loss of a job or a change in job.
The data on re-joinees provides a more holistic picture. In the previous story, we highlighted that there is a higher proportionate increase in the number of re-joinees compared to the number of new subscribers. The ratio is higher in 2021-22 compared to earlier years.  Most of the age groups have contributed to this expansive increase in the number of re-joinees to EPF. However, it is more evident among the comparatively older age groups.
Across the age groups between 26-35 years, the growth of re-joinees in 2021-22 compared to 2020-21 was 58%. Compared to the pre-pandemic years, the increase is 80% among the 26-28 years and nearly 89% among the 29-35 years age group. The growth compared to pre-pandemic years is much higher among the above-35 age group with a 91% increase in 2021-22 compared to 2019-20. This indicates a higher churn in the employment scenario in these age groups.
Understandably, the growth among re-joinees is lower in younger age groups, as most of them would be new subscribers or first-time job seekers.
Number of Exits and Re-joinees higher among male EPF subscribers of older age-groups
The trend among male EPF subscribers largely conforms with the overall trends reflected in EPF membership. The data for new subscriptions indicates that the growth seen in 2021-22 is proportionally higher among the younger males compared to males belonging to the age groups of 26 and above. This increase though is lesser than the pre-pandemic numbers.
In the case of exits, a higher increase can be seen among the age groups between 22-35 years.
The highest number of re-joinees among males belong to the age-group 29-35. Overall, this increase is significantly higher across the age groups of 22 to 35 and above. These trends among the male EPF subscribers who have re-joined seem to be driving the overall higher numbers.
A higher number of new female subscribers across age groups in 2021-22 compared to pre-pandemic years
The larger trend seen across males is also reflected in female EPF subscribers. Compared to 2020-21, the increase in new subscribers among younger female age groups is higher in 2021-22. Whereas in the case of those who have exited and have re-joined, the major increase is seen among females of older age groups.
In the case of re-joinees, there is an overall increasing trend across the age groups. The figures are significantly higher than that of 2019-20.  In the earlier story, we have highlighted that unlike in the case of males, the new subscribers among females during 2021-22 is higher even compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20.  This trend is not restricted to a specific age group but is observed across all age groups. Those under the age of 18 are an exception, but the numbers are significantly lower than other age groups.
There are more female EPF subscribers from all the age groups of 18 to 35 and above in 2021-22 compared to 2019-20. In fact, in the case of females in the age groups 18-22 and 22-25, the number of new subscribers in 2021-22 is even higher than that of 2018-19.
Subscribers in Expert Services Industry form a major part of EPF Subscribers
EPF Payroll reports also provide the industry-wise net EPF subscribers. The information does not include the membership by status categorization i.e., new subscribers, exited members and re-joinees.  Here is a snapshot of the industries:
Featured Image: EPF Payroll Data

created: November 15, 2022


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Number of Padma Awardees (including Bharat Ratna) cross 5000 with the 2022 awards
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 1, 2022
The government announced the Padma Awards for the year 2022 recently. With the 2022 awards, the total number of Padma awards including the Bharat Ratna crossed 5000. While Padma Shri awards were dominated by those from the Arts field, individuals from Literature and Education dominated the Padma Bhushan awards. In both Padma Vibhushan & Bharat Ratna, most awards were given to those from Public Affairs.
Recently, the President of India approved the conferment of 128 Padma Awards including 2 duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). This year’s awards comprise 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 107 Padma Shri awards. Of these, 34 of the awardees are women, 10 persons are Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, and 13 Posthumous awardees.
For a few years now, citizens & other agencies submit their nominations for Padma Awards through padmaawards.gov.in. For 2022, the portal received more than 4.85 lakh nominations for the awards. In this story, we look at the trend of the Padma awards over the years.
Note: Data used in this story is sourced from both the Padma Awards dashboard and the document available on the Ministry of Home Affairs website. In case of any discrepancy between these two sources, we considered the one whose year-wise totals are higher. For 1971, three names that were missing in the Padma Awards dashboard were taken from the Ministry of Home Affairs document.
Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award conferred in India
Padma awards are conferred by the Government of India to honour and recognise the contributions of Indian citizens in various fields. On certain occasions, these awards are also given to persons who are not Indian citizens for their contribution in certain fields. The highest civilian award in India is the Bharat Ratna followed by Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri in the same order.
The Bharat Ratna was constituted in 1954 and a maximum of only three Bharat Ratna awards can be conferred annually. For Bharat Ratna, recommendations are made by the Prime Minister to the President. There is no formal recommendation for this award. Factly’s earlier story on benefits extended to Bharat Ratna recipients can be read here.
Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan were the only two civilian awards instituted by the Indian government until 1955. Padma Vibhushan had three categories- Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg, and Tisra Varg. From 1955, these awards were renamed Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards have been announced every year since then except during 1978, 1979, and 1993 to 1997. The awards seek to recognize work of any distinction and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements or service in fields such as Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil
Service, Trade and Industry, etc.
Padma Awards Committee will decide the final awardees
All nominations received for Padma Awards are placed before the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year. The Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President, and four to six eminent persons as members. For the 2021 Padma Awards, eminent personalities like A.R Rehman, Ilaiyaraaja, and P.T. Usha were part of the committee. The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.
These awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year and are conferred by the President of India in ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. It should be noted that Padma awards do not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name. Factly had earlier published a detailed explainer on Padma Awards.
More than 5000 awards have been conferred/approved till 2022
To date, a total of 5001 awards have been conferred/approved by the President of India, of which 3332 are Padma Shri, 1296 Padma Bhushan, 325 Padma Vibhushan, and 48 Bharat Rana awards. Padma Shri awardees constitute 67%, Padma Bhushan 26%, Padma Vibhushan 6%, and Bharat Ratna awardees are almost 1% of all total awardees.
Awardees with Arts as a field received the greatest number of awards
Persons belonging to the field of Arts received the highest number of awards (1030) followed by Literature and Education (969) and Medicine (572). These three fields/areas constitute more than 50 percent of the total awards given to date.
In the category of Padma Shri awards, Arts top the list with 785 awardees, followed by literature and Education (645) and Medicine (458). For Padma Bhushan awards, awardees belonging to the Literature and Education field received 296 awards, followed by Art (246) and Science & Engineering (156). Of the 325 Padma Vibhushan awardees, 75 awards went to the persons belonging to public affairs, 63 for Art and 53 for Civil Service. 27 awardees of Bharat Ratna were from the Public Affairs field, 7 are from Art, and 6 from Social Work.
More than 50% of awardees are from five states.
Delhi has the greatest number of awardees (782) which constitutes more than 16% of the total. Next in line is Maharashtra with 766 or about 16% followed by Tamil Nadu (417) with more than 8% awardees.
Five states, namely Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal account for more than 50% of the awardees and the top 10 states account for 73% of all the awardees.
‘Cricket’ is still the favourite among the Sports
Of the 258 awards conferred to Sportspersons, 22% or 57 awardees went to Cricketers. Cottari Kanakaiyah Nayudu (C.K.Nayudu) for Cricket and Hockey legend Dhyan Chand were the first sportspersons to be conferred with Padma Awards. They were both conferred with Padma Bhushan in 1956.
After Cricket, Mountaineering tops the list with 36 awardees. Of these, 30 awardees were conferred with Padma Shri, 5 with Padma Bhushan, and one with Padma Vibhushan. Sportspersons from Athletics and Hockey received 29 and 28 awards respectively. Awards for these four sports constitute about 58% of the total awards conferred on Sportspersons.
21 Sports Persons were awarded more than once
It’s a known fact that Sachin Tendulkar is the only sportsperson who was conferred with the Bharat Ratna in 2014. Earlier he was also awarded Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Vibhushan in 2008. Along with Sachin, Viswanathan Anand and Mary Kom are the only two other sportspersons who were conferred with three awards. They both are conferred with all the three Padma Awards.
Seven Cricketers were awarded more than once, three each from Mountaineering, Badminton, and Tennis were awarded both Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan on different occasions. A total of 21 sportspersons were awarded at least two awards.
Edmund Hillary of New Zealand is the only foreign sportsperson who was conferred with Padma Award. The Government of India conferred on him the second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, posthumously, in 2008 for Mountaineering. More awardees from sports are from Maharashtra (35), followed by Delhi (28) and West Bengal (21).

created: February 1, 2022


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Number of Patent & other IP applications increase in India in recent years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 25, 2021
Data shared by the government indicates that the number of patents, trademarks, and other types of IP-related applications has increased in India in recent years. Data also indicates the speedy disposal of these applications. However, India still lags behind China and many other leading nations on this front.
WIPO’s (World Intellectual Property Organization) World Intellectual Property Indicators-2020 report states China to be the leading country with the highest number of Patents filed in 2019 followed by the USA. China also leads in the number of Trademarks filed. India is ranked 10th globally in the number of Patents filed and 8th in terms of trademarks. In terms of absolute numbers, China is way ahead of other countries. In fact, the number of Patents filed by China in 2019 is more than double the number filed by the second-placed USA. The gap with other countries much wider in the case of Trademarks, with China filing more than half of the world’s trademarks in 2019.
While serving the main purpose of protecting the creativity, Intellectual property rights, etc. of the inventor/creator, Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, etc. also offer a distinct economic advantage. In the age of globalization, these are seen as a reflection of a country’s impetus on innovation and also aids in development in terms of technological progress and providing an edge internationally. While India’s numbers are comparatively lower than other leading countries in the world, the data released by Intellectual Property India (IPI) indicates an improvement in recent years.
Patent applications examined increased by nearly 4 times in past 6 years
The Patents Act 1970 & Patent Rules, 2003 govern the Patent system in India. Amendments including – Patent (Amendment) Act, 2005 and the ones made to Patent rules in 2016, 2017 & 2019 have been instrumental in bringing in changes to the Patent system in the country in tune with the changing environment. The key purpose of these amendments is to bring in efficiency in the procedures followed for application, review, and disposal of the patents filed.
The summary published by IPI, further mentions the improvements made in the process. This includes modernization of the IP offices where-in technology is augmented for IT-enabled IP offices (e-filing, paperless electronic process, etc.) across the country.  There is an upscaling of the manpower as well. By the end of 2014-15, there were 183 examiners of Patents, which increased to 610 as of May 2020. Similarly, the number of Controllers for Patents increased from 89 to 245 during the same period. Removal of backlog and speedy examination & disposal of applications is cited for the augmentation of Manpower.
This increase in manpower is reflected in the trend in the number of patents filed, examined & disposed. Creating awareness & simplifying the filing process seems to have had a positive impact on the overall number of patents filed.  In the year 2014-15, a total of 42.7 thousand patent applications were filed which increased to 56.2 thousand in 2019-20. The major improvement though is observed in the numbers relating to Patents examined, granted, and disposed.
The increase in the number of patent applications examined indicates improvement in the operational efficiency and the impact of increased manpower.
Increase in Trademarks Examined has contributed towards an increase in the disposals
IPI’s summary highlights the replacement of 74 forms used in an application for Trademarks with 8 consolidated forms and also providing one single form for all types of trademarks.  Furthermore, there is also an increase in the manpower – Examiners & Senior examiners increased to 181 in 2019-20 compared to 64 in 2014-15. Similarly, there is also an increase in the registrars during this period from 13 to 22. However, the sanctioned number of registrars is 54, indicating that even with the increased strength, less than half the sanctioned posts are filled up.
The summary also points to improvements made in the trademark process:
The data provided by IPI, in its summary as well as the Annual reports indicate a marked improvement in the numbers. During 2016-17, around 5.32 lakh Trademark applications were examined, nearly twice the number examined in 2015-16. This has helped in reducing the backlog and increasing the disposal of pending applications. The number of applications disposed during 2016-17 was around 2.9 lakhs compared to 1.16 lakh in 2015-16. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of trademarks registered with 2.5 lakh registrations during 2016-17 compared to just around 65 thousand in 2015-16. An average of 3 lakh Trademark applications was registered in each of the last three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The number of Trademarks examined & disposed continues to be higher in the ensuing years resulting in maintaining the higher trademark registration numbers. However, there is a slight decline in the number of Trademarks Disposed & Registered in 2019-20 compared to the previous year. It remains to be seen if this decline is due to the higher numbers in previous years or a trend that will be visible even in the coming years.
Disposal of Application for Designs doubled in the period 2014-20
Similar to the trend observed in the case of Patents & Trademarks, there is a sharp increase in the number of applications examined during 2016-17, even in the case of Industrial Designs. In 2015-16, only around 7.5 thousand applications were examined which increased to around 11.8 thousand in 2016-17 and is on an upward curve since then.
The increase in the number of design applications being examined has also contributed to an increase in the design applications being disposed of and registered. Introduction of e-filing of designs during the later part of 2015-16 could have contributed towards the increase in the number of Design applications being filed.
A significant increase in the number of applications for Copyrights during 2016-17 & the following years has contributed towards the increased disposal and registration of a higher number of copyrights in the last four years.
A major portion of the Patents filed in India are non-resident filings
The increase in the applications and disposal of Patents, Trademarks, designs, etc. over the recent years is a significant development. The data clearly indicates a vast improvement in the entire process in India.
The factors contributing towards the same are manifold. The increase in efficiency has enabled quicker processing thereby not only reducing the backlogs but also encouraging new filings. The efforts in increasing IP awareness as elucidated in the IPI’s summary and the various annual reports also seem to have contributed towards increased filings.
However, when compared to global numbers, India still is far behind. As per WIPO’s World Intellectual Property Indicators 2020 report, around 14 lakh patent applications were filed in China in 2019, whereas India which is ranked 10 globally had around 53 thousand patent applications filed.  With regards to Trademarks, China which is the global leader has filed around 78 lakh trademark applications globally whereas 3.67 lakh trademark applications were filed in India in 2019.
Apart from China & USA, which are have large & developed economies than that of India, India also lags behind few other countries like – Germany, Japan, France, South Korea, United Kingdom, etc.
Apart from the comparatively lower numbers, another important aspect to consider is the origin of the application. As per WIPO’s data, out of the around 53 thousand patent applications filed in India, 19 thousand are by residents and 34 thousand are by non-residents. This information is further corroborated by the data available in Annual Reports of IPI. In 2018-19, out of around 50 thousand patent applications, around 17 thousand are by Indians, and the rest of them by non-residents of various categories. However, it has to be noted that there is a gradual increase in the applications filed by Indians. In the case of China, Japan, South Korea, etc., domestic applications occupy a larger share.
Overall, although India is on the right track with respect to the filings & processing of Patents & other IP applications, more needs to be done in creating an environment to encourage innovation which will, in turn, result in a greater number of Indians applying for various IP.
Featured Image: Number of patents from India


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Number of Person days generated under MGNREGA in first quarter of 2021-22 lower than in 2020-21
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 9, 2021
Data for the person-days of employment generated under MGNREGA indicates that the total volume of person-days in the first quarter of 2021-22 is lower than in 2020-21. However, it is too early to conclude on the trends for 2021-22 as some states witnessed an unusual increase in demand for work in June 2021.
In an earlier story, we had highlighted how MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) came to the rescue of rural employment in view of job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rural work program continues to be a boon for migrant workers who are back in their native places due to restrictions & lockdown measures in various parts of the country.
The nationwide lockdown in 2020 and the measured opening up of the economy have resulted in job losses with migrant workers among the most affected. The earlier story had also noted the significant increase in the demand for work under MGNREGA, especially in the states which were affected due reverse migration.
The emergence of a more severe second wave of COVID-19 infection across the country has resulted in many of the states resorting to lockdown measures once again to prevent the spread of the disease. These new set of restrictions in 2021 resulted in a shutdown on economic activity at varying levels in the states unlike the nationwide lockdown imposed in 2020.
In this context of the second wave of COVID-19 infection, we take a look at the trends in rural employment under MGNREGA and how the numbers compare to the same months in 2020.
Person Days under MGNREGA during Q1 of 2021-22 lower than the previous year
During the nationwide lockdown due to the first wave of COVID-19 infection in 2020, there was an exponential increase in the number of person-days of work provided during May 2020 compared to April 2020. This further increased during June 2020.
The number of person-days of work during these two months of May & June in 2020, was nearly 1.7 times higher than the number in the same two months of 2019. However, during May-June 2021, the number of person-days of work provided is lower than in 2020. In other words, the number of person-days of work provided during the first three months (April, May & June) of 2021-22 is closer to the levels seen in 2019-20 compared to 2020-21.
However, the impact of the second wave & the subsequent lockdowns across the states can be seen during the month of June 2021. While the number of person-days of employment in June 2021 is still lower than in June 2020, it was higher than in May 2021 and has seen an increasing trend. This is in contrast to the general trend in the earlier years (before the pandemic), where-in the number of person-days of employment in June is lower than in May.
In the case of the number of households for whom the work is provided, there is an increase during June 2021 compared to May 2021. However, the overall numbers for the quarter are less than that of the previous year.
Lesser Seasonal Variance during the Pandemic, compared to previous years
The demand & provision of work under MGNREGA is seasonal. The trends in the earlier years point to the seasonal nature of MGNREGA employment. Lack of alternate employment, for instance during the non-harvest season, increases the demand for work under MGNREGA. If the trends for the previous year are analysed, the number of person-days usually increases during the months of May & June.
This is followed by a period of decline, only to increase around January-February.  While the volume of person-days varies from year to year, the general trend is that of an increase in demand during these two distinct periods, accentuated by a steep fall in demand in the other period.
The same trend of increased employment during May & June was also seen in 2020, during the first year of the pandemic. However, as highlighted earlier, this increase has been exponential in these two months of the pandemic year of 2020.
In July 2020, there has been a steep fall in employment under MGNREGA, in line with the trend of the previous years. However, in the ensuing months before the next increase i.e., up until January-February, the fall in employment is not as pronounced as in the previous years.
The month-on-month person-days of work under MGNREGA remained mostly even during this period. This could point to a section of migrant workers relying on MGNREGA for employment because of the uncertainties induced by the pandemic which was not the case in the earlier years.
Higher increase of employment under MNGREGA during June in West Bengal, Rajasthan & U.P
In the earlier story, we had highlighted that the highest employment under MGNREGA in the immediate aftermath of the nationwide lockdown was in the states of West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh & Bihar among others. The increase across these states was specifically in the months of May & June 2020. The trends for the rest of 2020-21 & during the first quarter of 2021-22 are varied in these states.
We had observed that most of these states are those with reverse migration due to the COVID-19 induced pandemic. As noted earlier, the increase in MGNREGA employment indicates that the migrant workers could have relied on MGNREGA as an alternate for the loss of employment opportunities elsewhere.
After June 2020, the country witnessed phase-wise unlocking of the economy, which could have triggered the migrant workers to leave their native states and get back to employment in other states.
As noted earlier in this story, though the number of person-days of MGNREGA employment has reduced post-June 2020, there has been a month-on-month uniformity in contrast to the seasonal changes observed every year.  However, this trend is not the same across these major states with high MGREGA numbers.
While the trends vary across the states, there has been a general uptick in the number of person-days of MGNREGA employment during June 2021 for most of the states. This could be a result of the seasonal demand as well as lockdowns during the second wave.
Near three-fold increase in the spending under MGNREGA in 2020-21 compared to 2015-16
In 2020-21, the budget estimate (BE) for MGNREGA was Rs. 61.5 thousand crores. However, in light of the pandemic and the increase in demand for employment under MGNREGA, the estimate was revised to Rs.1.11 lakh crores during the revised estimates (RE).
In 2021-22, the BE for MGNREGA is Rs.73 thousand crores. This amount, although higher than the previous budget estimates, is still lower than the revised estimates for 2020-21. This was with an assumption that the dependency on MGNREGA would not be as high as in 2020-21.
Over the years, the actual spending on MGNREGA has increased year on year and is generally higher than the initial budget estimates. The data for the first quarter of 2021-22 shows that there is a fall in the number of person-days of MGNREGA employment compared to the first quarter of 2020-21. However, June 2021 has shown early signs of an increase in the demand for MGNREGA, even in 2021-22 as observed in a few of the states like U.P, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, etc.
The fall in demand for MGNREGA employment post-June in earlier years can be attributed to seasonal variations and the opening of the economy in 2020. However, it is too early to conclude if the trend in the current financial year would be similar to the previous years since the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic haven’t been resolved.
It has to be seen if the reliance on MGNREGA for employment would continue in the subsequent months of 2021-22 especially in the light of a widespread discourse around future waves.


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Data: Number of Re-joinees to EPF in 2021-22 Almost 25 lakhs More Than the Number of New Subscribers
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 11, 2022
The EPF payroll data released by the government every month provides data on the number of new subscribers to EPF, the number of exits, the number of re-joinees and the net payroll figures. Data indicates that the number of re-joinees in 2021-22 was almost 25 lakhs more than the number of new subscribers.
After around two years in the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2022 marks the emergence and recovery in most countries.  Economic recovery is among the top priority across countries, because of its impact on most sectors.
Loss of livelihood has been one of the gravest impacts of the pandemic. Therefore, the levels of employment are a good indicator to measure the recovery from the pandemic.  A forecast by the  International Labour Organization (ILO) at the beginning of 2022, downgraded its own earlier forecast of labour market recovery for 2022. However, the downgraded forecast is still an improvement over 2021.
What is the situation in India?
In one of our earlier stories, we analysed the trends in EPFO member subscriptions released by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) to understand the employment situation in the country. In this two-part series, we look at the latest data from EPFO for our analysis. In the first story, the broader trends in EPF membership are analysed.
Significant increase in the number of re-joinees during 2021-22, compared to new joinees
The EPF scheme is a contribution-based scheme, where-in employees pay a certain part of their salary towards EPF. One needs to be formally employed to be able to make the EPF contribution. In case an employee leaves the employment, he/she ceases to be part of EPF. The individual can join back EPF scheme if they take up new employment. While a new EPF number is assigned for re-joining, their Universal Account Number (UAN) ensures that the system knows that a person is re-joining the scheme. In the EPF data released by EPFO, anyone gaining employment and joining EPF for the first time are categorised as a ‘New EPF subscriber’. Whereas those who have exited and re-joined in employment with EPF contribution are categorised as ‘members who re-joined and resubscribed’.
As per EPFO’s latest  Provisional Monthly Estimate of Payroll Reports as of October 2022, there is an increase in the number of new subscribers during 2021-22 compared to 2020-21.  In 2021-22, there were a total of 1.08 crore new EPF subscribers. This is a 27% increase over 2020-21 when this was 0.85 crores. It ought to be noted that there was a fall in new subscribers in 2020-21, due to the pandemic-induced slowdown. Despite the recovery, the number of new subscribers is still lower than in the pre-pandemic years of 2018-19 and 2019-20, when it was 1.39 crores and 1.1 crores respectively.
There is also an increase in members who have exited EPF. In 2020-21, a total of 97.8 lakh members exited the scheme while 2021-22 increased to 1.19 crores. However, the more significant trend is relating to the re-joined members. In 2018-19, the number of re-joinees was significantly lesser than the new subscribers. The number of re-joinees were only about a third of the new subscribers. However, this changed completely in 2021-22.
Early trends of a change in this ratio were visible in 2019-20, with an increase in those who have re-joined, while there was a fall in the number of new subscribers. However, the number of re-joinees was still lower than the number of new subscribers. But in 2020-21, the number of those who re-joined exceeded the number of new subscribers. This difference increased substantially in 2021-22 when there were 1.33 crore re-joinees compared to 1.08 new subscribers. Meanwhile, the net payroll for 2021-22 has increased by 59% compared to 2020-21.
The increase in the number of re-joinees during 2020-21 compared to the new subscribers, can be attributed to people finding new jobs after losing employment during the pandemic. The lower number of new subscribers is indicative of the lower availability of jobs for first-time job seekers. The trend seems to have continued and intensified in 2021-22. The increasing number of re-joinees reflects existing job holders changing jobs.
Monthly data for 2022-23 indicates increase in Net Payroll compared to same period in previous years
A broader trend for 2022-23 indicates that there is an improvement in the net payroll figures compared to the previous year.  However, the trends vary across the different types of EPF membership. Overall, there is an improvement in the ‘Net Payroll’. Data not only shows a month-on-month increase in 2022-23, but the numbers are higher compared to the earlier years.
During April & May of 2020-21, the impact of the pandemic has resulted in negative Net Payroll. The situation improved in 2021-22 and further improved at the beginning of 2022-23. The same can be said for the rest of the months i.e., June-August.
While the number of new subscribers during the first five months of 2022-23 is comparatively higher than the same period in previous years, there is a fall during August 2022, compared to July 2022. There was also a similar but lesser dip in the previous year as well. It is to be seen if the trend continues in the ensuing months. The situation relating to exited members has also improved with not only a monthly decline during 2022-23 but also comparatively lower numbers than the same period in previous years.
On the other hand, varying trends are observed in the case of re-joinees. There is a comparative increase in the number of re-joinees to EPF during April-August’2022 compared to the same period last year. As already highlighted, there is a substantial increase in the number of re-joinees during 2022-23. If the trends for the initial months of 2022-23 hold for the rest of the year, there could be a much higher number of re-joinees in 2022-23. The increase in re-joinees for the first five months is higher than the increase in new joinees. This indicates a prospective higher re-joinee to new subscribers ratio than 2021-22. However, there is also a decline in the number of re-joinees during July & August 2022 compared to earlier months. As in the case of new subscribers, it remains to be seen if the trend persists in the coming months.
Higher increase in new Female subscribers compared to Male
The EPF Payroll data also provides the gender-wise figures of EPF subscribers. The broader gender trends are also in-line with the overall yearly trends i.e., there is a fall in the number of new subscribers and re-joinees during 2020-21 while the numbers improved substantially in 2021-22.
A deeper look into these numbers shows varying trends.
Age-wise analysis of the EPF data would be useful to understand the new subscribers. In the next story, we look at the age-wise trends of the EPF numbers along with industry-wise trends.

created: November 11, 2022


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Registered cases of Child Marriage increased by about 50% in 2020 as per NCRB
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2022
As per the NCRB’s annual Crime in India report, a total of 782 cases were booked under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 in the year 2020. This is about 50% more than the number of cases registered in 2019. Compared to the year 2011, the number of cases has increased by almost seven times.
The minimum age of marriage has been a topic of discussion since the introduction of the Prohibition of the Child Marriage Amendment Bill, 2021 which seeks to increase the legal age of marriage for women from 18 years to 21 years, bringing it at par with that of men. This is to be done by amending personal laws including the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936, the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, the Special Marriage Act, 1954, the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969. The Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani introduced the Bill in the Winter Session of the Parliament in 2021. Following heated debates in the Parliament and opposition, the bill was referred to a standing committee. In the recently concluded Budget Session of the Parliament, the committee was given an extension of three months.
Crime in India reports provide data on cases registered under PCM Act,2006
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006  (PCM) prohibits solemnization of marriage of a boy who is less than 21 years of age or a girl who is less than 18 years of age. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in its annual Crime in India (CII) report, provides data on the number of cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 across states under the head of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes.  The latest CII report is available for the year 2020.
Cases of child marriage increased by over 50% in 2020
As per the NCRB report, the number of cases registered under the PCM Act has increased by almost 7 times in the last decade. While the number of cases registered in 2019 (523) was more than four times the 113 cases registered in 2011, there was increase of almost 50% in 2020, the year in which the COVID-19 pandemic began in India. From 113 cases in 2011, the number of cases registered under the PCM act increased to 782 in 2020. During the ten-year period of 2011 to 2020, a total of 3,604 cases were registered under the PCM act.
11 states contributed more than 85% of the cases registered in the last decade
Of the total 3,604 cases registered under the PCM act between 2011 & 2020, 17.2% of the cases were registered in Karnataka alone. With 621 cases registered in the state, the number of cases registered in Karnataka exceeds the total number of cases registered across the country in 2019. With 514 registered cases, West Bengal accounted for 14.3% of the cases during the ten-year period. Tamil Nadu (480 cases) and Assam (441 cases) accounted for 13.3% and 12.2% of the cases respectively. Together, the four states alone contributed to 57% of the cases registered across the country during 2011 & 2020. Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala, and Odisha registered more than 100 cases each during this period and together accounted for 26.8% of the cases. Altogether, these 11 states contributed to nearly 87% of all the cases in the last decade.
Each of the five south Indian states registered more than 100 cases each. A total of 1,575 cases were registered in the southern states that accounted for nearly 44% of the cases registered at the national level.  No cases were registered in five (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim) out of the total 8 northeastern states. One case was registered in Meghalaya, 11 cases in Tripura, and 441 cases were registered in Assam during the ten-year period. In other words, 97.4% of the cases registered in the north-east were from Assam alone, while Tripura and Meghalaya accounted 2.4% and 0.2% respectively.
Number of cases registered in Karnataka and Assam has continuously increased
Karnataka and Assam have reported a gradual increase in the number of cases registered in the last decade. Being the only states to register more than 100 cases in a single year (in both 2019 and 2020), the two states accounted for 41% of the total cases registered in India in 2020 and 43% of the cases registered in 2019. In 2020, Karnataka registered more than 15 times the cases registered in 2011 while Assam registered 138 cases in 2020 as against 0 cases in 2011 and 2012.
Telangana too has reported a continuous increase in cases since 2014, except in 2018. Despite a decline in cases in 2019, states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala have reported an increase in cases in 2020. Surprisingly, the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Sikkim which had high crime rate against children in 2020, registered only 1,5, and 0 cases of child marriage in 2020, respectively.
The only two plausible reasons for this increase are either the improvement in reporting of such cases or the actual increase in the incidence of cases or both. Despite the increase in cases, one has to bear in mind that the numbers provided in the NCRB report only pertain to incidents that have led to filing a FIR. There could be numerous other cases which have not been reported to the police.
Karnataka and Assam governments rolled out measures to curb child marriages
According to media reports, Karnataka reported 296 cases of child marriages in 2020-21, 156 in 2019-20, while 119 cases were reported in 2018-19. The concerned minister is reported to have cited poverty, illiteracy, superstition, lack of knowledge about laws related to child marriage, negligence towards educating girl children, and traditional wishes of elders as the reasons behind the high number of cases reported in the state. The number is high in the state despite the 2017 amendment to the PCM act which declared child marriages as void ab initio or invalid in law.
Meanwhile, in Assam, as per media reports, the Social Welfare Minister told the Assembly recently that 3,192 child marriages were recorded between 2016-17 and 2020-21. The number of child marriages was 74 in 2016-17 which increased to 448 in 2017-18, 759 in 2018-19, and 1089 in 2019-20. In 2021, the state government announced a one-time financial package along with a tola of gold as marriage assistance for girls of marriageable age as a measure to check child marriage in the state.
Prevalence of child marriage in India was higher than in Pakistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka
According to a UNICEF Report, Ending Child Marriage: A profile of progress in India published in 2019, there were over 650 million child brides globally of which 285 million were from South Asia, and 223 million were from India alone. In simpler terms, one out of three child brides globally live in India. Of the country’s 223 million child brides, 102 million were married before even turning 15 years of age. In terms of prevalence of child marriage, calculated as percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were first married or in union before age 18, the prevalence in India was 27%, higher than in its neighbouring countries of Pakistan (21%), Bhutan (26%), and Sri Lanka (10%).
As per the report, Uttar Pradesh had the largest number of child brides in the country- 36 million, followed by Bihar and West Bengal with 22 million each. Over half of Indian child brides lived in five states- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The prevalence across states ranged between 8% in Kerala and Punjab, and over 40% in Bihar and West Bengal.
Prevalence was highest among women from poorer families with lower education levels
Large disparity in the prevalence of child marriage was found across women with different levels of education and economic background. The prevalence was as high as 56% among women from poorest economic background from rural areas without education and 2% among women from rich families with high education. The report also noted that disparities in prevalence was smaller among women from different religious groups and castes/tribes. On the other hand, only 1 in 25 men were married before the age of 18. Contrary to the international definition, the legal age of marriage for men in India is 21 years and one in five men were married before turning 21 years.
While there has been a considerable improvement in the awareness about the adverse effects of child marriage, the report added that to achieve the SDG target of eliminating child marriage by 2030, India must accelerate the progress.
The efforts will have to be ramped up both in the light of increasing cases and the pandemic which is expected to have increased child marriages and reversed the progress made over decades.