The National Crime Records Bureau’s annual reports on crime and prison statistics have to be read with a strong caveat — most of the numbers cannot be compared between States because they are largely dependent upon the registration/reporting of crimes in the first place. However, certain national trends and sharp year-on-year changes within States can still reveal meaningful patterns that could demand policy intervention. The recent NCRB report for 2023 — delayed by a year — points to a worrying trend of postponed surveys, reports and even the Census under the current Union Government. But there are also three telling numbers : the 2.8% decrease in murder cases across the country; a staggering 28.8% surge in crimes against Scheduled Tribes (ST), and a 31.2% increase in cyber crimes. Whil

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