Comprehensive NCRB Data Highlights Fatalities

The Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024 provides data on Accidental Deaths due to Forces of Nature and Other Causes including Traffic and Road Accidents. 

Key Highlights of the Report

»     Rate of Accidental Deaths (per lakh population): Increased to 33.3 (2024) from 31.9 (2023) with maximum causality reported in age of 30 to below 45 years (31.3%). 

»     Accidents due to Forces of Nature: 7,903 deaths (35.7% deaths due to ‘Lightning’, 23.2% deaths due to ‘Heat/Sun Stroke’ and 10.5% deaths due to ‘Exposure to cold’.)

       o  Madhya Pradesh (577), Bihar (360), Uttar Pradesh (275) accorded maximum of lightning deaths. 

»     Accidents due to Other Causes: Accounted for 4,59,954 deaths with a greater share of men than women. 

       o  Major causes: ‘Traffic Accidents’ (43.4%),  ‘Sudden Deaths’ (16.5%), ‘Drowning’ (8.7%), ‘Falls’ (5.7%), ‘Poisoning’ (4.7%) and ‘Electrocution’ (3.4%).

       o  Fire Accidents: 5,971 cases of reported fire accidents caused 5, 888 deaths in 2024. 

       o  Road Accidents:  Road Accidents (87.8%) contributed to the largest share (railway accidents reported nil deaths) among Traffic Accidents. 

           Ø  Major Cause: Over speeding was prime cause contributing to 61.2% of road accidents.

           Ø  Regional Extent: Greater accidents were reported from the rural areas (59.7%) compared to urban areas (40.3%). 

           Ø  Location of Occurrence: 31.2% of total road accidents were reported near residential areas.

Exploring the Deep: INS Sagardhwani

INS Sagardhwani arrived in Vietnam marking a significant step towards scientific cooperation. 

»     It was flagged off for 5th edition of the Sagar Maitri (SM-5) initiative.

»     Sagar Maitri is a flagship collaborative initiative of Indian Navy and DRDO, aligned with ''Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR)'' vision. 

INS Sagardhwani

»     Specialised oceanographic research vessel commissioned in July 1994. 

»     Designed by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE). 

Hasdeo–Arand: India’s Green Heart Under Threat

Rajasthan’s state-owned electricity producer sought to divert 1,742.6 hectares of prime forest and fell 4.48 lakh trees in Hasdeo-Arand forest. 

About Hasdeo-Arand Forest

»     Location: Spans Korba, Surguja and Surajpur districts in Chhattisgarh.

»     Type: Dense Sal forests. 

»     Fauna: Home to nine Schedule-I species, including leopards, sloth bears and elephants.

»     Significance: Often called the ‘“lungs of central India”; catchment for Hasdeo River and Bango Dam; dispersal corridor for tigers; vital resource for tribal communities.

Hydro Projects and Teesta River Concerns

Bangladesh seeks China’s support for Teesta project. 

About Teesta River

»     Origin: Tso Lhamo Lake in North Sikkim. Pahunri Glacier, Khangse Glacier and Chho Lhamo Lake are also considered its sources.

»     Course: Flows through Sikkim and West Bengal in India before entering Bangladesh, where it joins the Brahmaputra River at Fulchori.

»     Major Tributary: Rangit River is the main tributary of the Teesta in Sikkim.

»     Teesta Water Treaty: In 2011, a draft agreement was proposed where India would get 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% of Teesta’s water during the dry season.

       o  Implementation was halted due to objections from West Bengal.

JANANI – Innovation in Maternal Health

Recently, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched JANANI (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care) platform. 

JANANI

»     Service-oriented digital platform  to comprehensively monitor and maintain digital health records of women during reproductive age. 

»     An upgraded version of existing RCH (Reproductive and Child Health) portal, creating a longitudinal health record by capturing key service delivery events across continuum of care.

»     Key Features: 

       o   Interoperability: Enabling integration with national platforms like U-WIN and POSHAN. 

       o   Unique Identifiers: Like ABHA, Aadhaar (OTP and biometric) and mobile number for registration of beneficiaries. 

       o   Others: QR-enabled digital Mother and Child Health (MCH) Cards; automated alerts for high-risk pregnancies, real-time dashboards for supervisory review, etc. 

Long-Term Care Emerging as Key Policy Priority

Ageing is a natural process leading to decline in physical and mental capacity and increasing risk of diseases and death.

»     It is also associated with life changes such as retirement, relocation and loss of friends or partners.

»     India’s elderly population is projected to reach 347 million (~20%) by 2050, up from 8.6% in 2011. (UNFPA 2023)

Challenges Associated with Geriatric Healthcare

»     Hospital-Centric Model: Systems treat individual diseases, while elderly people often suffer from multiple long-term health conditions requiring continuous and integrated care.

»     Mental Health & Social Isolation: Issues like Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depression are often undiagnosed. 

       o  Preference for nuclear families has increased social isolation and "empty nest syndrome."

»     Financial Insecurity: High out-of-pocket health expenditure frequently pushes households into poverty. 

       o  78% of elderly lack pension coverage and 70% are economically dependent.

»     Feminization of Ageing: Women live longer but often have fewer assets and lower access to healthcare, making them more vulnerable.

»     Others: Fewer trained geriatricians, Lack of Social Security, Digital Access, Rural-Urban Divide etc.

Way Forward

»     Strengthen Long-Term Care (LTC): Develop integrated elderly-care systems including skilled workforce, infrastructure, and financing.

»     Strengthen Digital Healthcare: Promote teleconsultation and integrated electronic health records under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

NCRB Publishes Comprehensive PSI 2024 Report

The Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024 report highlighted that Rate of Suicides (per lakh population) decreased from 12.3 (2023) to 12.2 (2024). 

Key Highlights of the Report

»     Causative Factors of Suicides: ‘Family Problems (other than marriage related problems)’ (33.5%), ‘Illness’ (18.0%) and ‘Drug abuse/addiction’ (7.6%) together accounted for 59.0% of total suicides in the country during 2024. 

»     State wise distribution: Majority were reported in Maharashtra followed by Tamil Nadu. 

       o   Delhi reported highest number of suicides (2,905) among UTs, followed by Puducherry. 

»     Education Status of Victims: Only 5.6% of total suicides victims were graduate and above.

       o  10.1% victims of suicide were illiterate. 

»     Trends in Cities: Suicide rate in cities (16.3) was higher compared to all-India suicide rate (12.2). 

»     Professional Status of Suicide Victims: Among male suicides, maximum suicides were committed by daily wage earners. 

       o  Amongst females, highest number was of house-wives. 

       o  In farming sector, 10,546 persons (6.2%) accounted for total suicide victims. 

»     Overall male: female ratio: Stood at 73.5 : 26.5. 

Key Measures taken to curb Suicide in India

»     Acts/Policies: National Mental Health Policy (2014); Mental Healthcare Act (2017); National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), etc. 

»     National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS): Launched in 2022, to cut suicide mortality by 10% by 2030. 

»     Schemes/Initiatives: Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Manodarpan by Ministry of Education; Tele Manas, etc.

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)

PMEGP has demonstrated robust performance during the 15th Finance Commission cycle. 

»     Women beneficiaries: Account for ~40% of the total micro-enterprises.

»     SC/ST/OBC categories: ~54% of the beneficiaries.

»     Rural: ~80% of the enterprises established under PMEGP are located in rural areas.

PMEGP

»     Ministry: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

»     Implementation Agency: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) (with KVIB, DIC and Coir Board)

»     Mechanism: Supports prospective entrepreneurs in establishing new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by providing Margin Money (MM) subsidy on bank loans.

»     Maximum Project Cost allowed: Rs.50 lakhs for manufacturing unit and Rs.20 lakhs for Service Unit.

States to Follow Standard GSVA Compilation Norms

MoSPI has released the Uniform Guideline for Compilation of Gross State Value Added (GSVA) Estimates with Base Year 2022-23.

The Guidelines

»     Aim: To improve the compilation of GSVA and Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and ensure consistency and comparability of economic data across all States/UTs.

»     Key Priorities: Expanding data integration, updating methodology to capture emerging and unincorporated sectors, and standardizing methods across all States/UTs.

»     Aims to include previously excluded UTs like Lakshadweep and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu for 100% national coverage.

Significance of GSDP Estimates

»     Used for tracking state-level growth, industrial output etc.

»     Used by the Finance Commission and Ministry of Finance to allocate resources and distribute Central taxes.

Suriname Highlights Cultural & Diplomatic Links

Suriname (Capital: Paramaribo)

India and Suriname reviewed bilateral ties at 9th Joint Commission meeting outlining a six-point approach. 

»     Concerning people-to-people ties, Suriname’s development, defence cooperation, development partnership projects, trade and tourism, and sharing India’s digital and AI expertise.

»     Political Features

»     Location: Northern coast of South America.

»     Boundaries: Atlantic Ocean (North), French Guiana (East), Brazil (South), and Guyana (West).

Geographical Features

»     Major Rivers: Courantyne,  Suriname, Maroni, etc. 

»     Climate: Tropical.

»     Highest Peak: Juliana Top, in Wilhelmina Mountains.

Technology Development Board – Bridging Ideas to Industry

TDB entered into an agreement with private firm to establish an advanced manufacturing facility for production and commercialisation of indigenously developed Type-IV Composite CNG Cylinders. 

»     Type-IV composite cylinders represent next-generation alternative to conventional steel cylinders offering upto 75% weight reduction, improved vehicle efficiency and reduced carbon emissions.

TDB

»     Statutory Body:  Under Technology Development Board Act, 1995. 

»     Ministry: Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. 

»     Purpose: Development and commercialization of indigenous technology and adaptation of imported technology for wider application. 

Tracking Justice: GRAI Report Card for Institutions

Insurance division of Department of Financial Services topped Group A Category  in GRAI ranking with Banking Division retaining 5^th position for second month in a row for month of March 2026. 

GRAI

»     Developed by: Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). 

»     Purpose: Evaluates ministries and departments on effectiveness and timeliness of grievance resolution through Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).

       o   CPGRAMS is a 24x7 online platform designed for citizens to lodge grievances against government service delivery.

»     Based on 4 dimensions (corresponding to 11 indicators): Efficiency, Feedback, Domain and Organisational Commitment.