Context: The NARI 2025 report has found that 40% of women in India’s urban areas feel unsafe, with harassment experiences far exceeding official NCRB data.
About NARI 2025 report:
What it is?
- The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025) is a survey-based index covering 31 cities across all states, based on inputs from 12,770 women.
- It seeks to capture unreported harassment, lived experiences, and perceptions of safety beyond just official crime figures.
Trends:
- 40% of women in urban India reported feeling “unsafe” or “not so safe.”
- 7% of women reported facing harassment in 2024, far higher than NCRB’s official figures.
- Young women (18–24 years) were found most vulnerable.
- Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Srinagar, Faridabad among least safe cities, while Mumbai, Kohima, Bhubaneswar, Gangtok, Itanagar ranked safer.
- Only 22% of women reported harassment incidents to authorities.
Features:
- Harassment includes staring, catcalling, lewd comments, inappropriate touching in public spaces.
- Major factors: poor lighting, unsafe public transport, weak infrastructure.
- 53% of women were unclear if their workplaces had the POSH policy, despite being mandated by law.
Relevance in UPSC Exam:
- GS I (Indian Society): Issues of gender inequality, urbanisation, social attitudes affecting women’s safety.
- GS II (Governance & Social Justice): Women-related legislation (POSH Act, IPC provisions, NCW role) and policy initiatives.
- GS III (Internal Security): Urban safety, crime prevention, and use of technology in policing.
