Latest news with #NationalCrimeRecordsBureau
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Rajasthan, Delhi police start recording iris, retina, fingerprints of all arrestees under 2022 law; no DNA collection yet
Police in Rajasthan and Delhi have become the first in the country to record, store and analyse biometric data such as the fingerprints, and retina and iris scans of all those whom they arrest, as well as some others accused of a crime. Due to the limitations of forensic capabilities, the collection of DNA, likely drawn from blood samples, is yet to be rolled out, police officials said. These biometric samples are being collected since March this year in compliance with the Criminal Procedure Identification Act (CrPI), which was passed by Parliament in 2022 and has now come into effect on a pilot basis in Delhi and Rajasthan after three years. DNA guidelines being developed The Act enables the police and Central investigating agencies to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples, including the fingerprints, and scans of the retina and iris of all arrestees. Though the Act and its Rules do not explicitly mention the collection of DNA samples and face-matching procedures, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has informed State police officials that such measures will also be rolled out in around 1,300 locations spread across police districts, commissionerates, and Special Investigation Units at State headquarters. The NCRB, which comes under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has been tasked with implementing the Act and has finalised the Standard Operating Procedure to be followed by police officials while recording such data. Such guidelines have been completed for the collection of finger-impressions, palm-prints, footprints, photographs, iris and retina scans, physical and biological samples and their analysis, and behavioural attributes including signatures, handwriting or any other examination. The NCRB has held meetings with forensic laboratories to finalise the DNA loci pointers to be used in DNA profiling under the Criminal Procedure (Identification) System, which it has developed. 'Forensic, logistic capabilities needed' Rajasthan Director General of Police U.R. Sahoo told The Hindu that the Act has been implemented in some police districts. 'The DNA samples are yet to be collected and stored. It requires huge forensic capabilities and logistics, which does not exist presently. The other provisions of the CrPI Act have been rolled out. The data is being stored in a central server,' Mr. Sahoo said. A Delhi Police official said that such data is being recorded for all accused persons, irrespective of whether they have been arrested or not. According to Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the police can issue a notice to a person to join the investigations even when their arrest is not immediately required. Under the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), another project maintained and managed by NCRB, workstations and scanners have been put up at around 1,300 police stations. Its database contains fingerprint details, along with a unique 10-digit number, for over one crore people who have been accused or convicted of a crime across the country.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
TGCSB cracks down on child porn, 5 cases registered
Hyderabad: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) registered five separate cases related to the illegal circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), officials said on Friday. The cases were filed following alerts from various national and international agencies. Based on this input, the National Crime Records Bureau shared specific online links containing CSAM with TGCSB, prompting swift action. In addition to the five FIRs already registered, officials said that five more cases are in the pipeline. Using the shared links, investigators are now working to identify and locate those responsible for uploading the illegal content. The accused are suspected to be spread across different parts of Telangana. All cases have been booked under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, and further investigation is underway to bring the offenders to justice. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
‘Over 3K natural disaster deaths in 2024-25'
The number of people that died on account of natural disasters (including extreme weather events) was 3080 in 2024-25, the highest since 2013-14 according to a provisional estimate of the number from the Disaster Management (DM) division of the home affairs ministry, although the number is likely to be a significant underestimate, if past trend data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is any indication. The 3080 number was published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on June 5 in its annual compilation of environment-related statistics in the EnviStats report. This number is 18% more than the provisional number for 2023-24; and the highest since 2013-14, when it r was 5,677. In fact, the 2024-25 figure is the fourth highest figure since 2001-02, the earliest year for which the EnviStats report gives data. To be sure, the DM division numbers compiled in the EnviStats report are a gross under-estimate of total deaths from natural disasters in India. The latter is available from the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which was last published in 2023 for the year 2022. ADSI data – also compiled in the EnviStats report – shows that there were an average 7,526 deaths due to natural disasters in each of the five years ending 2022, of which 2,772 deaths were just from lightning and another 2,034 deaths were filed under a non-specific head. In all the five years from 2018 to 2022, total natural disaster deaths were at least 6,891 and lightning and miscellaneous deaths at least 2,357 and 1,706 respectively. Therefore, the provisional estimate for 2024-25 cited above makes sense only if these two are excluded. To be sure, only DM division numbers have been compared above for the 2001-02 to 2024-25 period. The DM division numbers also show that while human deaths were at an 11-year high in 2024-25, this was not the case with the number of houses damaged or cattle lost or cropped area affected. The loss of 61,960 cattle in 2024-25 is 48% less than in 2023-24 and ranked only 10th highest since 2001-02. The number of houses damaged – 3,64,124 -- was 2.6 times that in 2023-24, but ranked fifth lowest since 2001-02. Similarly, 1.42 million hectares of cropped area affected was 6% more than in 2023-24, but the area is second lowest since 2001-02.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Stampede deaths: Individual preparedness crucial for safety in public spaces, say doctors
The stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, on June 4, during which 11 people died and 47 were injured, draws painful echoes of large-scale crowd disasters which took place during events such as the Maha Kumbh Mela. While the incidents highlight the perilous combination of fan fervour and poor planning, safety in public spaces also requires individual preparedness, say doctors. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which was last published in 2022, India arguably has a record of the highest number of stampedes and resultant injuries and fatalities. Between 1996 and 2022, India recorded 3,935 stampedes, resulting in more than 3,000 recorded deaths. During a stampede, people often die not due to trampling, but from a condition called compressive asphyxia, where pressure on the chest prevents normal breathing. A crowd density exceeding six to seven people per square metre can significantly impede movement and breathing, potentially leading to severe oxygen deprivation and death, say doctors. Who's at risk? Sunil Kumar K., lead consultant, interventional pulmonology at Aster CMI Hospital, said that crowded public gatherings can turn hazardous, especially for those with underlying respiratory conditions such as asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). 'Even before a full-blown stampede occurs, the dense human congestion can drastically reduce oxygen availability and increase carbon dioxide inhalation, triggering acute respiratory distress. Individuals in such a situation can experience a surge in panic, heat, and low ventilation, precipitating into a life-threatening illness within minutes,' Dr. Kumar said. Pointing out that people with compromised lungs are especially at risk in these scenarios because they already operate with limited respiratory reserve, the doctor said early symptoms might present as breathlessness, chest tightness, wheezing, or dizziness, which are often mistaken as anxiety. Stressing that safety in public spaces requires individual preparedness as well, he said it is advisable that people with asthma or COPD always carry their rescue inhaler or prescribed medication when attending public events. 'It is also advisable to stay close to exits, to allow for a quick escape if needed,' he said. Compressive asphyxia Ravindra Mehta, senior consultant and head of pulmonology, interventional pulmonology, and sleep medicine at Apollo Hospitals, stated that during a stampede, many people may fall and get trampled. Still, the most common cause of death is compressive asphyxia. This is a dangerous condition that occurs when breathing is prevented in an individual by external pressure on the body, and this is what happened during the stampede on June 4. 'Low oxygen, chest trauma, rib trauma, air leaking around the lungs, bleeding in that area, abdominal bleeding coupled with pain are known to cause major problems. All of these can lead to lung and heart issues. That is why death and demise are known to happen in a stampede,' he said. 'Moreover, there can be a vasovagal reaction—when you are in intense fear and pain, there can be a cardiac arrest secondary to that,' he said. 'Stay upright and try to minimise chest compression by bracing a surface or wall. Whenever a person senses danger, he/she should try to move away from the crowd or try to reach an open space'Ravindra MehtaPulmonologist 'Do not panic' Sachin Kumar, director, pulmonology and critical care medicine at Sakra World Hospital, said it is advisable not to scream in panic as it can increase the fear within the individual and lead to confusion. 'Stay upright and try to minimise chest compression by bracing a surface or wall. Whenever a person senses danger, he/she should try to move away from the crowd, or try to reach an open space,' he said. 'Pushing against an individual leads to hindrance in the expansion of the lungs, resulting in a drop in oxygen and a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. Due to the body's response towards lack of oxygen and compression of the chest, one becomes unconscious,' he added.
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Business Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Farmer suicides fell in J&K after 2019: What it says about mandi monopoly
After Article 370 was abrogated in 2019 farmer suicides in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) dropped sharply: from 31 in 2019 to just one in 2020, three in 2021 and one again in 2022. What explains this dramatic decline? The key lies in the cessation of the state's Mandi Act following the abrogation. Farmers in J&K were no longer forced to sell exclusively within government-designated markets. The mandi monopoly had ended. Is the Mandi system really responsible for farmer deaths? The short answer is unequivocally yes. The pattern is clear not just in J&K, but also in several other states where partial or full mandi reforms have occurred. What follows is an explanation of how mandi monopoly endangers farmers. Mandi monopoly Among the very few things that economists agree upon is that monopoly is bad. But there is nowhere as absolute a monopoly as the one faced by Indian farmers. The mandi is the king they must serve to earn even the bare minimum. Imagine this scenario: if a buyer tries to directly purchase even a kilogram of tomatoes from a farmer's field, both parties would be committing an illegal act. Instead, the farmer is compelled to transport their entire harvest to a government-designated market yard. At these regulated markets, farmers also have low negotiating power. Licensed traders strategically delay purchases, squeezing farmers into forced sales as perishable produce deteriorates. Farmers get low prices, consumers get poor quality, middlemen profit enormously. Mandi monopoly creates middlemen who have an iron grip on the agricultural supply chain, enabling them to systematically exploit both farmers and consumers. The human cost of this monopoly becomes starkly clear when we examine the numbers. Data across states The dramatic turnaround in J&K is not an isolated case. After delisting fruits and vegetables from the mandi, Odisha's farmer suicides fell from annual average of 190 to 50 in 2015 and 0 from 2017 onwards (data from the National Crime Records Bureau). Similar reforms in Gujarat in 2015 reduced farmer suicides average from 538 to 187. Uttarakhand farmer suicides dropped from an average of 27 to zero. When Delhi removed mandi regulations outside designated yards, suicides dropped from average of 10 to none. Assam saw the average fall from 309 to 105 annually. The pattern is unmistakably clear wherever reforms have occurred. Rajasthan provides a particularly instructive case. After implementing direct purchases outside mandis' purview in 2010, farmer suicides dropped from 851 in 2009 to 390 in 2010, and declined further. In 2015, with fees on fruits and vegetables removed, suicides fell from 373 in 2014 to 76 in 2015 and 43 in 2016. Yet in 2020, Rajasthan reversed course, reinstating mandi controls over private yards and direct centres. Suicides surged from 26 in 2019 to 101 in 2020 and 239 in 2022. The data is unequivocal. Reducing mandi monopolies saves lives consistently. Increasing their reach increases farmer suicides. But statistics alone do not explain why market restrictions literally kill. Let's trace the deadly mechanism. Structural trap People often blame farmer suicides on debt, drought, or crop failure, but these are immediate symptoms and not the underlying cause. In any business, survival during downturns depends on reserves built during better times. This is precisely where the mandi monopoly inflicts its deepest damage. By restricting farmers to selling only within designated yards and only to licensed traders, it ensures farmers operate on very thin margins. When a failed monsoon, bad crop, or family emergency strikes, there is no buffer between struggle and collapse. Research consistently shows small farmers receive merely 6 to 10 percent of the final retail price, with intermediaries pocketing the remainder. Worse still, the same middlemen who underpay farmers often become their creditors, offering loans at interest rates as high as 36 per cent to 60 per cent annually. This vicious cycle of exploitation becomes, for many, an unbearable burden. This changes when the restriction to sell only in regulated markets is removed. Even if many farmers continue using mandis, the presence of alternatives dramatically shifts power dynamics. Traders face competition, price realization improves, and middlemen lose leverage. Better margins enable farmers to save, repay loans, and weather tough seasons. Bihar offers an instructive example. It abolished agricultural produce market committees in 2006 without alternatives, causing chaos due to lack of aggregation and price discovery. When farmer cooperatives (FPOs) emerged in 2012-14 and were able to pool produce and, unlike other states, also sell directly in absence of mandis, the outcomes improved and suicides dropped to zero. The lesson is clear: infrastructure helps, monopolistic coercion kills. Ending mandi monopoly Can we morally justify sustaining a system demonstrably deadly to farmers? Immediate and complete reform is not merely beneficial; it is ethically non-negotiable. Monopolistic markets severely distort India's broader food economy, preventing direct trade and blocking vital market signals farmers need. This causes waste in some areas while others face shortages, as farmers base decisions on misleading cues from intermediaries rather than genuine consumer demand. Breaking the monopoly immediately improves the system. Market transparency emerges, stabilising prices and improving farmer incomes. Suicide rates plummet. The freedom to sell produce is not an abstract privilege. It can literally mean the difference between life and death.
