Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India: NCRB Report (2023) | Model Youth Gram Sabha initiative | Bathukamma Festival Creates Two Guinness World Records | Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) incentive scheme

Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India: NCRB Report (2023)

Syllabus: GS2/Governance; Government Policy & Intervention

Context

• Recently, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released its Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2023 report, offering a snapshot of the India’s public health and safety landscape.

Key Findings of Report (2023)

• Age Groups: 30-45 Years (31.7%; 1,40,933 deaths); 18-30 Years (24.4%; 1,08,254 deaths).
• Road Accidents: India witnessed a staggering 73 lakh deaths and 4.47 lakh injuries due to road accidents in 2023—a 1.6% increase from the previous year.
• Accidents due to Forces of Nature: 6,444 deaths were attributed to natural forces like lightning (39.7%), heat stroke (12.5%), exposure of cold (11.4%) and floods.
• Accidents due to Other Causes: The major causes of accidental deaths were traffic accidents (45.2%), sudden deaths (14.5%), drowning (8.6%), falls (5.7%), poisoning, and electrocution (3.2%).
• Farmer Suicides: The agricultural sector saw 10,786 suicides in 2023 (declined by 10% from 2022), including 4,690 farmers and 6,096 agricultural laborers.
• It translates to nearly one farmer suicide every day, underscoring the deep-rooted agrarian distress.
• Maharashtra led with 2,518 farmer suicides, followed by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India: NCRB Report (2023)

• Mental Health and Illness-Linked Suicides: Report highlights a 3.2% rise in suicides due to illnesses, with nearly 20% of cases linked to conditions like cancer, paralysis, and mental health disorders.
• Mental illness accounted for 13,978 suicides.
• Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka reported the highest illness-related suicides.
• Alarmingly, suicides due to cancer rose by 14%, and abortion-related fatalities spiked by 59%.

Additional Information – National Crime Record Bureau

• Set-up in – 1986
• Functions under – Ministry of Home Affairs
• Objective – It acts as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators.
• Headquarter – New Delhi

Projects being implemented by NCRB

• Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) project
• Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems(CCTNS)
• Reports – NCRB brings out three annual reports i.e. These reports are principal reference points for police officers, researchers, media & policymakers.

1. Crime in India
2. Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India
3. Prison Statistics India.

Model Youth Gram Sabha initiative

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Union Government is set to launch the Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) initiative from October 2025.
• It is inspired by the Model UN framework, to instill awareness about Panchayati Raj institutions among school students.

Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS)

• The initiative will train rural and tribal students in grassroots democracy.
• Vision: To create a new generation of informed and responsible citizens who see local governance as central to development and social justice.
• The program involves students in mock Gram Sabha sessions, where they take on roles like sarpanch and ward members to discuss village issues and pass resolutions.
• Each school receives ₹20,000 financial support to conduct the activity.
• Implementing Ministries: Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Tribal Affairs.

Bathukamma Festival Creates Two Guinness World Records

Syllabus: GS1/Culture

Context

• The Bathukamma festival set Guinness World Records for the largest floral arrangement and the most synchronized female dance participants.

Bathukamma Festival

• The Bathukamma festival is celebrated predominantly in Telangana.
• The term “Bathukamma” translates to “Mother Goddess Come Alive”, reflecting the divine feminine energy and protection.
• Folklore connects the festival to legends of Goddess Gauri as well as King Dhramangada and Queen Satyavati of the Chola dynasty.
• Bathukamma’s timing coincides with Navratri, celebrating life, devotion and the triumph of good over evil.

Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) incentive scheme

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• The Government has extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) incentive scheme for exporters until March 31, 2026.

RoDTEP incentive scheme

• Launched in – 2021.
• It replaced the older Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), which was not compliant with World Trade Organization (WTO) norms.
• Objective – It is an incentive scheme by the Indian government to refund various embedded central, state, and local duties and taxes that were previously not reimbursed for exporters.
• Significance – By neutralizing these costs, the scheme aims to make Indian products more competitive in the global market.
• Implementation – Ministry of Commerce and Industry.