June 14, 2026

Representative image NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to “temporarily discontinue” the fortification of rice distributed under the free foodgrain scheme (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes, following a comprehensive review of its implementation and effectiveness.The decision was taken on Friday after a study conducted by IIT-Kharagpur, which assessed the shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR) under real storage conditions across diverse agro-climatic zones in the country. The study found that key factors such as moisture content, temperature, relative humidity, storage conditions and packaging materials “critically” affect the stability of fortified rice.As per an official release, the study concluded that FRK and FR are “susceptible to micronutrient reduction and shortening of shelf life during prolonged storage and routine handling. This reduction is rendering the effective shelf life shorter than expected and, in turn, limiting the intended nutritional outcomes”.The food ministry took note that rice procured for distribution often remains in storage for 2-3 years due to high buffer stocks. Against an annual allocation of 372 lakh tonnes under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes, total availability in the central pool is projected at 674 lakh tonnes, including expected receipts from the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025–26. The extended storage duration has emerged as a key challenge in maintaining micronutrient stability.“In view of these findings, it has been decided to temporarily discontinue fortification of rice until a more robust and effective nutrient delivery mechanism is developed and operationalised,” the ministry said.It also said govt that the move will not lead to any reduction in foodgrain entitlements for beneficiaries.In his address from Red Fort on Aug 15, 2021, PM Narendra Modi had announced the mandatory fortification of rice distributed through govt schemes, including PDS and PM POSHAN, by 2024 to combat malnutrition. This initiative was aimed to supply iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12-enriched rice to vulnerable populations nationwide.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAmid Rising Violence, Afghanistan Urges Pakistan For Talks To Prevent Prolonged Conflict“Deep Concern”: China Alarms As Pakistan-Afghanistan Clash Explodes After Taliban StrikeKejriwal Gets Clean Chit In Delhi Liquor Policy Case, Court Tears Into CBI Over Lack Of EvidencePakistan Army Blames India Again For ‘Open War’ Against Afghanistan, Calls Taliban Delhi’s ProxyCanada PM Mark Carney Lands In India, Aims For Fresh Push To Reset Strained Bilateral TiesPakistan in Open War With Afghanistan, But Does Islamabad Have the Military Muscle?”If BJP Wins Over 10 Seats…”: Kejriwal Throws Open Challenge After Court ReliefWhy Netanyahu’s Reference to Indian Soldiers In Battle Of Haifa Sparks Criticism in TurkeyExplained: As Pakistan Opens Afghan Front, Where Does India Stand And How Will Delhi Respond Now”No Overarching Conspiracy” Court Clears Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia In Excise Case123PhotostoriesDitch the pastel winds: What Vijay Deverakonda’s and Rashmika Mandanna’s wedding outfits taught us6 Indian billionaires who own private residence worth crores in Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone, DelhiFrom red anarkali to yellow suit: Rashmika Mandanna’s newlywed glow steals the spotlight10 Bihari Sattu dishes that are good for gut health and overall nutritionOne woman dies every 8 minutes in India from cervical cancer: Oncologist shares 5 critical steps to prevent itDeepika Padukone to Aishwarya Rai: Bollywood stars who turned down Hollywood projectsFrom Bengal’s Mukut to Marathi Mundavalya:5 stunning bridal headgears from different states8 healthy daily habits to keep your heart strong and prevent heart disease, says cardiologistTop 7 muscle car names that defined an eraRegional Holi foods from different parts of India that no one talks about123Hot PicksPakistan-Afghanistan warIndia GDP growthGold rate todayAir ticket refund rulesIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingJEE Mains Correction WindowBengaluru Namma Metro FareIlia TopuriaKylian MbappeJoel EmbiidVanessa BryantTony DungyUttarakhand Gang RapeNFL CombineGold Price Prediction

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins
Representative image NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to “temporarily discontinue” the fortification of rice distributed under the free foodgrain scheme (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes, following a comprehensive review of its implementation and effectiveness.The decision was taken on Friday after a study conducted by IIT-Kharagpur, which assessed the shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR) under real storage conditions across diverse agro-climatic zones in the country. The study found that key factors such as moisture content, temperature, relative humidity, storage conditions and packaging materials “critically” affect the stability of fortified rice.As per an official release, the study concluded that FRK and FR are “susceptible to micronutrient reduction and shortening of shelf life during prolonged storage and routine handling. This reduction is rendering the effective shelf life shorter than expected and, in turn, limiting the intended nutritional outcomes”.The food ministry took note that rice procured for distribution often remains in storage for 2-3 years due to high buffer stocks. Against an annual allocation of 372 lakh tonnes under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes, total availability in the central pool is projected at 674 lakh tonnes, including expected receipts from the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025–26. The extended storage duration has emerged as a key challenge in maintaining micronutrient stability.“In view of these findings, it has been decided to temporarily discontinue fortification of rice until a more robust and effective nutrient delivery mechanism is developed and operationalised,” the ministry said.It also said govt that the move will not lead to any reduction in foodgrain entitlements for beneficiaries.In his address from Red Fort on Aug 15, 2021, PM Narendra Modi had announced the mandatory fortification of rice distributed through govt schemes, including PDS and PM POSHAN, by 2024 to combat malnutrition. This initiative was aimed to supply iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12-enriched rice to vulnerable populations nationwide.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAmid Rising Violence, Afghanistan Urges Pakistan For Talks To Prevent Prolonged Conflict“Deep Concern”: China Alarms As Pakistan-Afghanistan Clash Explodes After Taliban StrikeKejriwal Gets Clean Chit In Delhi Liquor Policy Case, Court Tears Into CBI Over Lack Of EvidencePakistan Army Blames India Again For ‘Open War’ Against Afghanistan, Calls Taliban Delhi’s ProxyCanada PM Mark Carney Lands In India, Aims For Fresh Push To Reset Strained Bilateral TiesPakistan in Open War With Afghanistan, But Does Islamabad Have the Military Muscle?”If BJP Wins Over 10 Seats…”: Kejriwal Throws Open Challenge After Court ReliefWhy Netanyahu’s Reference to Indian Soldiers In Battle Of Haifa Sparks Criticism in TurkeyExplained: As Pakistan Opens Afghan Front, Where Does India Stand And How Will Delhi Respond Now”No Overarching Conspiracy” Court Clears Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia In Excise Case123PhotostoriesDitch the pastel winds: What Vijay Deverakonda’s and Rashmika Mandanna’s wedding outfits taught us6 Indian billionaires who own private residence worth crores in Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone, DelhiFrom red anarkali to yellow suit: Rashmika Mandanna’s newlywed glow steals the spotlight10 Bihari Sattu dishes that are good for gut health and overall nutritionOne woman dies every 8 minutes in India from cervical cancer: Oncologist shares 5 critical steps to prevent itDeepika Padukone to Aishwarya Rai: Bollywood stars who turned down Hollywood projectsFrom Bengal’s Mukut to Marathi Mundavalya:5 stunning bridal headgears from different states8 healthy daily habits to keep your heart strong and prevent heart disease, says cardiologistTop 7 muscle car names that defined an eraRegional Holi foods from different parts of India that no one talks about123Hot PicksPakistan-Afghanistan warIndia GDP growthGold rate todayAir ticket refund rulesIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingJEE Mains Correction WindowBengaluru Namma Metro FareIlia TopuriaKylian MbappeJoel EmbiidVanessa BryantTony DungyUttarakhand Gang RapeNFL CombineGold Price Prediction


Government suspends fortified rice rollout in welfare schemes citing shelf-life concerns

NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to “temporarily discontinue” the fortification of rice distributed under the free foodgrain scheme (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes, following a comprehensive review of its implementation and effectiveness.The decision was taken on Friday after a study conducted by IIT-Kharagpur, which assessed the shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR) under real storage conditions across diverse agro-climatic zones in the country. The study found that key factors such as moisture content, temperature, relative humidity, storage conditions and packaging materials “critically” affect the stability of fortified rice.As per an official release, the study concluded that FRK and FR are “susceptible to micronutrient reduction and shortening of shelf life during prolonged storage and routine handling. This reduction is rendering the effective shelf life shorter than expected and, in turn, limiting the intended nutritional outcomes”.The food ministry took note that rice procured for distribution often remains in storage for 2-3 years due to high buffer stocks. Against an annual allocation of 372 lakh tonnes under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes, total availability in the central pool is projected at 674 lakh tonnes, including expected receipts from the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025–26. The extended storage duration has emerged as a key challenge in maintaining micronutrient stability.“In view of these findings, it has been decided to temporarily discontinue fortification of rice until a more robust and effective nutrient delivery mechanism is developed and operationalised,” the ministry said.It also said govt that the move will not lead to any reduction in foodgrain entitlements for beneficiaries.In his address from Red Fort on Aug 15, 2021, PM Narendra Modi had announced the mandatory fortification of rice distributed through govt schemes, including PDS and PM POSHAN, by 2024 to combat malnutrition. This initiative was aimed to supply iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12-enriched rice to vulnerable populations nationwide.



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AI-generated image Uttar Pradesh has provided functional household tap connections (FHTCs) to over 1.2 crore rural households, achieving nearly 90 per cent coverage under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), according to data from the ministry of jal shakti, as the scheme approaches its 2024 target of “Har Ghar Jal”, piped water to every rural home.Launched in August 2019, JJM aims to deliver potable water at 55 litres per capita per day to all rural households through individual tap connections, replacing the earlier system of shared standposts. The programme, with a combined central and state outlay exceeding Rs 3.6 lakh crore.In UP, which has 1.3 crore rural households, the state’s Jal Nigam (Rural) is the nodal implementing agency, executing the scheme across 822 blocks and over 59,000 Gram Panchayats. Officials said multi-village water supply schemes, connecting clusters of villages to shared treatment and pumping units, have driven rapid progress, particularly in the Terai region and eastern UP.Each village under the scheme has a Paani Samiti, or Village Water and Sanitation committee, responsible for overseeing construction, collecting user charges for maintenance, and managing operations. A Jal Sahiyya, typically a woman from the village, conducts mandatory quarterly water quality testing at multiple points across the village to ensure compliance with Bureau of Indian Standards and World Health Organisation drinking water standards.The expansion of piped water access is expected to significantly ease the burden on women and girls in rural households, who have traditionally spent hours collecting water from distant sources, time that development researchers say could now be redirected toward education, work, and health.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUP Government Constitutes SIT To Investigate Alleged Irregularities In Ram Temple DonationsModi-Trump Meeting At G7 Comes Amid India-US Tensions Over Sailors’ Deaths And Iran ConflictIndia’s Russian Oil Imports Rise 6.6% In May; Russia Remains India’s Second-Largest Crude SupplierStone-Pelting Rocks Patliputra Station As Students Demand More TrainsDRDO’s Three Successful Missile Tests Put India Among Nations Capable Of Countering ICBM ThreatsCong Leaders Demand Accountability, Apology From US After Three Indian Sailors Killed In StrikeRubio Tells EAM All Vessels Must Follow US Orders In Hormuz; India Protests Death Of 3 MarinersKalyan Banerjee Targets Rebel TMC Leaders: ‘If TMC Wins In 2029, Will They Resign?’Joint Tribes’ Council Accuses Kuki Cadres Of Killing Six Naga Captives, Seeks Immediate ArrestsCentre’s High-Level Committee On Demographic Changes Begins Work With Focus On Border Regions123PhotostoriesWhat happens when you eat 1 banana daily for 45 daysThis wild cat can crush a skull with one bite10 baby boy names symbolising fortune and good luck6 most prestigious residential neighbourhoods in Thane for homebuyersNot every cancer begins with pain: Doctors reveal the everyday symptoms people often ignore for too longCrossover of Imtiaz Ali’s characters: Director says at a dinner table, ‘Geet will make bad order; Tara will help’ – Exclusive7 social skills that can help children become confident and make friends easily5 ancient temples in Karnataka that are architectural marvelsLong before becoming the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk survived on hot dogs and oranges for a day in CanadaWhat people who stay healthy into their 80s do differently every day123Hot PicksStephen A SmithUS Trade DealBullet Train ProjectBeijing ProtestYogi AdityanathPM ModiSpaceX IPORohit SharmaFortnite Gold Sprite Power Hour Start TimingTop TrendingAsha Sharma Net WorthUPSC Prelims ResultNEET Admit Card 2026FIFA World Cup 2026Women T20 World CupPune Techie SuicideAbhishek BanerjeeComedian PranitTMC Leader Kunal GhoshCBSE Class 10 Second Board Result

AI-generated image Uttar Pradesh has provided functional household tap connections (FHTCs) to over 1.2 crore rural households, achieving nearly 90 per cent coverage under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), according to data from the ministry of jal shakti, as the scheme approaches its 2024 target of “Har Ghar Jal”, piped water to every rural home.Launched in August 2019, JJM aims to deliver potable water at 55 litres per capita per day to all rural households through individual tap connections, replacing the earlier system of shared standposts. The programme, with a combined central and state outlay exceeding Rs 3.6 lakh crore.In UP, which has 1.3 crore rural households, the state’s Jal Nigam (Rural) is the nodal implementing agency, executing the scheme across 822 blocks and over 59,000 Gram Panchayats. Officials said multi-village water supply schemes, connecting clusters of villages to shared treatment and pumping units, have driven rapid progress, particularly in the Terai region and eastern UP.Each village under the scheme has a Paani Samiti, or Village Water and Sanitation committee, responsible for overseeing construction, collecting user charges for maintenance, and managing operations. A Jal Sahiyya, typically a woman from the village, conducts mandatory quarterly water quality testing at multiple points across the village to ensure compliance with Bureau of Indian Standards and World Health Organisation drinking water standards.The expansion of piped water access is expected to significantly ease the burden on women and girls in rural households, who have traditionally spent hours collecting water from distant sources, time that development researchers say could now be redirected toward education, work, and health.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUP Government Constitutes SIT To Investigate Alleged Irregularities In Ram Temple DonationsModi-Trump Meeting At G7 Comes Amid India-US Tensions Over Sailors’ Deaths And Iran ConflictIndia’s Russian Oil Imports Rise 6.6% In May; Russia Remains India’s Second-Largest Crude SupplierStone-Pelting Rocks Patliputra Station As Students Demand More TrainsDRDO’s Three Successful Missile Tests Put India Among Nations Capable Of Countering ICBM ThreatsCong Leaders Demand Accountability, Apology From US After Three Indian Sailors Killed In StrikeRubio Tells EAM All Vessels Must Follow US Orders In Hormuz; India Protests Death Of 3 MarinersKalyan Banerjee Targets Rebel TMC Leaders: ‘If TMC Wins In 2029, Will They Resign?’Joint Tribes’ Council Accuses Kuki Cadres Of Killing Six Naga Captives, Seeks Immediate ArrestsCentre’s High-Level Committee On Demographic Changes Begins Work With Focus On Border Regions123PhotostoriesWhat happens when you eat 1 banana daily for 45 daysThis wild cat can crush a skull with one bite10 baby boy names symbolising fortune and good luck6 most prestigious residential neighbourhoods in Thane for homebuyersNot every cancer begins with pain: Doctors reveal the everyday symptoms people often ignore for too longCrossover of Imtiaz Ali’s characters: Director says at a dinner table, ‘Geet will make bad order; Tara will help’ – Exclusive7 social skills that can help children become confident and make friends easily5 ancient temples in Karnataka that are architectural marvelsLong before becoming the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk survived on hot dogs and oranges for $1 a day in CanadaWhat people who stay healthy into their 80s do differently every day123Hot PicksStephen A SmithUS Trade DealBullet Train ProjectBeijing ProtestYogi AdityanathPM ModiSpaceX IPORohit SharmaFortnite Gold Sprite Power Hour Start TimingTop TrendingAsha Sharma Net WorthUPSC Prelims ResultNEET Admit Card 2026FIFA World Cup 2026Women T20 World CupPune Techie SuicideAbhishek BanerjeeComedian PranitTMC Leader Kunal GhoshCBSE Class 10 Second Board Result

Vamsikrishna 0
Image: AP For Yogi Adityanath, law and order was never merely governance. It has always been central to his political image. The imagery of a saffron-clad monk governing India’s most populous state with an iron administrative grip has remained one of the defining motifs of contemporary Uttar Pradesh politics.The “Bulldozer Baba” image, once used derisively by the opposition, has since been appropriated by the UP administration as a badge of honour. It carries a simple message: the state intends to project zero tolerance towards criminality and illegal activity. But political rhetoric often travels far ahead of official evidence.The politics of law and orderSo a TOI analysis of five selected categories from National Crime Records Bureau violent-crime tables was undertaken to examine how Uttar Pradesh has performed on some of the most sensitive crime indicators. The categories examined were murder, attempt to commit murder, rape, kidnapping and abduction, and rioting.The result is emphatic.The data shows UP outperformed the national trend in all five categories between 2022 and 2024. In four categories, the decline was sharp and consistent. In the fifth, attempt to murder, the decline was modest, though India as a whole recorded an increase during the same period.The NCRB caveatHowever, every NCRB dataset comes with an important caveat. NCRB numbers reflect police-recorded crime, not the total incidence of crime. Better registration can push numbers upward. Underreporting can pull them downward.There is also a 2024-specific caveat. NCRB notes that after the new criminal laws came into force from July 1, 2024, its data formats were revised to collect IPC and BNS cases separately, while police and court disposal were tabulated collectively for comparability. It also says some shifts in overall numbers may reflect legal reclassification. So the trend is useful, but it should not be read as a pure policing outcome without allowing for changes in reporting and classification.Even with those caveats, the broad direction of the UP trend is difficult to miss.Rioting sees the sharpest fallThe sharpest decline among the five categories comes in rioting. UP recorded 4,478 rioting cases in 2022. The number fell to 3,160 in 2023 and then further to 2,610 in 2024. That represents a 41.7% decline in two years. Nationally, rioting cases declined from 37,816 to 30,348, a smaller fall of roughly 19.8%.Few crime categories carry as much symbolic weight in Uttar Pradesh as rioting. Memories of communal violence in places like Muzaffarnagar in 2013 still shape political narrative in the state. Governments in UP have long been judged through the prism of curfews, communal flare-ups, caste clashes, street violence and administrative paralysis.Adityanath’s government has repeatedly projected itself as the regime that restored fear of the law. Critics, meanwhile, describe the same policing style as selective, aggressive and deeply intertwined with muscular majoritarian politics.Kidnapping and abduction, the largest category in this basket, also shows a steep decline. UP’s count rose slightly from 16,263 in 2022 to 16,663 in 2023 before falling sharply to 12,163 in 2024. That marks a 25.2% decline from 2022. Nationally, kidnapping and abduction cases fell 10.7% during the same period.The category itself is broader than its popular image. NCRB classifications include cases linked to elopement and marriage disputes, not merely violent abductions. Even so, the downward movement remains politically significant because kidnapping is among the crimes that shape public fear most directly.Decoding the rape numbers The rape figures tell a more layered story.UP recorded 3,690 rape cases in 2022, 3,516 in 2023 and 3,209 in 2024. That is a decline of 13%. Nationally, recorded rape cases fell 6.3%, from 31,516 to 29,536.At first glance, the numbers appear reassuring. But the deeper NCRB tables reveal a darker pattern that extends far beyond Uttar Pradesh..In 2024, of UP’s 3,209 recorded rape cases, the accused was known to the victim in 3,114 cases. Unknown or unidentified offenders accounted for only 95 cases. Nationally too, NCRB data shows the same pattern. Of India’s 29,536 rape cases, offenders were known to the victim in 28,597 cases.The dominant public image of sexual violence still revolves around the stranger lurking outside. NCRB’s tables tell a very different story. In most recorded cases, the violence comes not from strangers, but from familiarity.Which means a decline in recorded rape cases cannot automatically be read as a complete resolution of women’s safety concerns.The weak linkMurder presents a steadier pattern.UP recorded 3,491 murder cases in 2022, 3,206 in 2023 and 3,218 in 2024. The figure rose slightly last year, but still remained 7.8% below the 2022 count. Nationally, murder cases declined 5.2% during the same period. Murder data is often treated as relatively more reliable because homicide leaves behind physical evidence and is harder to conceal entirely from official records..Attempt to commit murder remains the state’s weakest category among the five examined.UP recorded 3,788 such cases in 2022, 3,312 in 2023 and 3,728 in 2024. That still leaves the state 1.6% below its 2022 count. India, meanwhile, recorded a 2.8% rise, from 57,256 to 58,844.So while UP still performs better than the national trend, the category does not show the same clean downward trajectory visible in rioting or kidnapping.Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state. Absolute numbers alone can distort perception. According to NCRB’s 2024 projections, UP had a population of roughly 2,388.8 lakh against India’s 14,049.1 lakh, or around 17% of the country’s total population.Yet in all five selected categories, UP’s share of national cases remained below that population share. UP accounted for 11.9% of murders, 6.3% of attempt-to-murder cases, 10.9% of rape cases, 12.7% of kidnapping and abduction cases, and 8.6% of rioting cases.The rate comparison also favours the state. In 2024, UP recorded 1.3 murders per lakh population against India’s 1.9. Attempt to murder stood at 1.6 against roughly 4.1 nationally. Kidnapping and abduction was 5.1 against India’s 6.8. Rioting stood at 1.1 against 2.2 nationally. Rape, calculated per lakh women population, stood at 2.8 against India’s 4.3.Politics versus perceptionDGP Rajeev Krishna has cited the 2024 NCRB figures as evidence that UP’s policing model is working. The government has increasingly leaned on NCRB statistics to counter the opposition’s attacks.The opposition remains unconvinced.Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly accused the BJP government of masking insecurity behind spectacle. His critique focuses less on NCRB trendlines and more on police encounters, selective enforcement, women’s safety and whether state power is applied evenly across communities and political affiliations.Both readings find resonance because crime data is not only about dry numbers. It is also about how a citizen feels.Yet one trend remains difficult to ignore. Across five major categories, UP’s recorded serious-crime trajectory has outperformed the national curve between 2022 and 2024. That gives the Yogi government substantial political ammunition.However, NCRB figures remain, ultimately, a measure of recorded crime, not the complete geography of fear. That gap between statistics and lived experience is where the political battle over law and order in Uttar Pradesh will continue to unfold.Get the latest India news and live updates. 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Image: AP For Yogi Adityanath, law and order was never merely governance. It has always been central to his political image. The imagery of a saffron-clad monk governing India’s most populous state with an iron administrative grip has remained one of the defining motifs of contemporary Uttar Pradesh politics.The “Bulldozer Baba” image, once used derisively by the opposition, has since been appropriated by the UP administration as a badge of honour. It carries a simple message: the state intends to project zero tolerance towards criminality and illegal activity. But political rhetoric often travels far ahead of official evidence.The politics of law and orderSo a TOI analysis of five selected categories from National Crime Records Bureau violent-crime tables was undertaken to examine how Uttar Pradesh has performed on some of the most sensitive crime indicators. The categories examined were murder, attempt to commit murder, rape, kidnapping and abduction, and rioting.The result is emphatic.The data shows UP outperformed the national trend in all five categories between 2022 and 2024. In four categories, the decline was sharp and consistent. In the fifth, attempt to murder, the decline was modest, though India as a whole recorded an increase during the same period.The NCRB caveatHowever, every NCRB dataset comes with an important caveat. NCRB numbers reflect police-recorded crime, not the total incidence of crime. Better registration can push numbers upward. Underreporting can pull them downward.There is also a 2024-specific caveat. NCRB notes that after the new criminal laws came into force from July 1, 2024, its data formats were revised to collect IPC and BNS cases separately, while police and court disposal were tabulated collectively for comparability. It also says some shifts in overall numbers may reflect legal reclassification. So the trend is useful, but it should not be read as a pure policing outcome without allowing for changes in reporting and classification.Even with those caveats, the broad direction of the UP trend is difficult to miss.Rioting sees the sharpest fallThe sharpest decline among the five categories comes in rioting. UP recorded 4,478 rioting cases in 2022. The number fell to 3,160 in 2023 and then further to 2,610 in 2024. That represents a 41.7% decline in two years. Nationally, rioting cases declined from 37,816 to 30,348, a smaller fall of roughly 19.8%.Few crime categories carry as much symbolic weight in Uttar Pradesh as rioting. Memories of communal violence in places like Muzaffarnagar in 2013 still shape political narrative in the state. Governments in UP have long been judged through the prism of curfews, communal flare-ups, caste clashes, street violence and administrative paralysis.Adityanath’s government has repeatedly projected itself as the regime that restored fear of the law. Critics, meanwhile, describe the same policing style as selective, aggressive and deeply intertwined with muscular majoritarian politics.Kidnapping and abduction, the largest category in this basket, also shows a steep decline. UP’s count rose slightly from 16,263 in 2022 to 16,663 in 2023 before falling sharply to 12,163 in 2024. That marks a 25.2% decline from 2022. Nationally, kidnapping and abduction cases fell 10.7% during the same period.The category itself is broader than its popular image. NCRB classifications include cases linked to elopement and marriage disputes, not merely violent abductions. Even so, the downward movement remains politically significant because kidnapping is among the crimes that shape public fear most directly.Decoding the rape numbers The rape figures tell a more layered story.UP recorded 3,690 rape cases in 2022, 3,516 in 2023 and 3,209 in 2024. That is a decline of 13%. Nationally, recorded rape cases fell 6.3%, from 31,516 to 29,536.At first glance, the numbers appear reassuring. But the deeper NCRB tables reveal a darker pattern that extends far beyond Uttar Pradesh..In 2024, of UP’s 3,209 recorded rape cases, the accused was known to the victim in 3,114 cases. Unknown or unidentified offenders accounted for only 95 cases. Nationally too, NCRB data shows the same pattern. Of India’s 29,536 rape cases, offenders were known to the victim in 28,597 cases.The dominant public image of sexual violence still revolves around the stranger lurking outside. NCRB’s tables tell a very different story. In most recorded cases, the violence comes not from strangers, but from familiarity.Which means a decline in recorded rape cases cannot automatically be read as a complete resolution of women’s safety concerns.The weak linkMurder presents a steadier pattern.UP recorded 3,491 murder cases in 2022, 3,206 in 2023 and 3,218 in 2024. The figure rose slightly last year, but still remained 7.8% below the 2022 count. Nationally, murder cases declined 5.2% during the same period. Murder data is often treated as relatively more reliable because homicide leaves behind physical evidence and is harder to conceal entirely from official records..Attempt to commit murder remains the state’s weakest category among the five examined.UP recorded 3,788 such cases in 2022, 3,312 in 2023 and 3,728 in 2024. That still leaves the state 1.6% below its 2022 count. India, meanwhile, recorded a 2.8% rise, from 57,256 to 58,844.So while UP still performs better than the national trend, the category does not show the same clean downward trajectory visible in rioting or kidnapping.Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state. Absolute numbers alone can distort perception. According to NCRB’s 2024 projections, UP had a population of roughly 2,388.8 lakh against India’s 14,049.1 lakh, or around 17% of the country’s total population.Yet in all five selected categories, UP’s share of national cases remained below that population share. UP accounted for 11.9% of murders, 6.3% of attempt-to-murder cases, 10.9% of rape cases, 12.7% of kidnapping and abduction cases, and 8.6% of rioting cases.The rate comparison also favours the state. In 2024, UP recorded 1.3 murders per lakh population against India’s 1.9. Attempt to murder stood at 1.6 against roughly 4.1 nationally. Kidnapping and abduction was 5.1 against India’s 6.8. Rioting stood at 1.1 against 2.2 nationally. Rape, calculated per lakh women population, stood at 2.8 against India’s 4.3.Politics versus perceptionDGP Rajeev Krishna has cited the 2024 NCRB figures as evidence that UP’s policing model is working. The government has increasingly leaned on NCRB statistics to counter the opposition’s attacks.The opposition remains unconvinced.Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly accused the BJP government of masking insecurity behind spectacle. His critique focuses less on NCRB trendlines and more on police encounters, selective enforcement, women’s safety and whether state power is applied evenly across communities and political affiliations.Both readings find resonance because crime data is not only about dry numbers. It is also about how a citizen feels.Yet one trend remains difficult to ignore. Across five major categories, UP’s recorded serious-crime trajectory has outperformed the national curve between 2022 and 2024. That gives the Yogi government substantial political ammunition.However, NCRB figures remain, ultimately, a measure of recorded crime, not the complete geography of fear. That gap between statistics and lived experience is where the political battle over law and order in Uttar Pradesh will continue to unfold.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCong Leaders Demand Accountability, Apology From US After Three Indian Sailors Killed In StrikeRubio Tells EAM All Vessels Must Follow US Orders In Hormuz; India Protests Death Of 3 MarinersKalyan Banerjee Targets Rebel TMC Leaders: ‘If TMC Wins In 2029, Will They Resign?’Joint Tribes’ Council Accuses Kuki Cadres Of Killing Six Naga Captives, Seeks Immediate ArrestsCentre’s High-Level Committee On Demographic Changes Begins Work With Focus On Border RegionsYogi Orders FIR Over Remarks on Akhilesh’s Daughter, Says No Insult Against Women Is AcceptableHyderabad Cadet Nidhi Makes History With AIR 6, Fulfills Father’s Dream Of Serving The NationAssam Notifies New Excise Rules With Stricter Liquor Norms And Support For Indigenous BeveragesGovernment Appoints Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth As Next Army Chief, To Take Charge On June 30India, France Expected To Deepen Defence Cooperation With Focus On Submarines And Fighter Jets123Photostories10 baby boy names symbolising fortune and good luck6 most prestigious residential neighbourhoods in Thane for homebuyersNot every cancer begins with pain: Doctors reveal the everyday symptoms people often ignore for too longCrossover of Imtiaz Ali’s characters: Director says at a dinner table, ‘Geet will make bad order; Tara will help’ – Exclusive7 social skills that can help children become confident and make friends easily5 ancient temples in Karnataka that are architectural marvelsLong before becoming the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk survived on hot dogs and oranges for $1 a day in CanadaWhat people who stay healthy into their 80s do differently every day5 signs life’s hardest phase is finally behind you5 animals that are often called the world’s dumbest123Hot PicksStephen A SmithUS Trade DealBullet Train ProjectBeijing ProtestYogi AdityanathPM ModiSpaceX IPORohit SharmaFortnite Gold Sprite Power Hour Start TimingTop TrendingAsha Sharma Net WorthUPSC Prelims ResultNFL Trade RumorFIFA World Cup 2026Women T20 World CupPune Techie SuicideAbhishek BanerjeeComedian PranitTMC Leader Kunal GhoshCBSE Class 10 Second Board Result

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PTI photo NEW DELHI: A high-level committee on demographic changes, constituted recently under Justice (retd) Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, will visit metropolitan areas and industrial towns, apart from border areas, as part of its assignment to examine the nature, causes and impact of demographic changes across the country, including due to illegal immigration. It will recommend policy, administrative and legal frameworks to address the issue in a time-bound manner.Home minister Amit Shah Saturday chaired a meeting with senior MHA officials to review arrangements for proper facilitation of the committee.The first meeting of the panel has already been convened and its agenda formulated. “MHA will provide logistical and other necessary support for proper functioning of the committee,” a ministry official said.According to a source, many illegal immigrants, particularly Bangladesh, have over the years travelled further to metropolitan areas and towns with a heavy concentration of industries. The onward journey usually takes place after securing identity documents like Aadhaar cards from tout networks and illegal agents.While notifying the panel last month, MHA had said demographic changes were visible in certain regions that were not attributable to normal fertility or mortality trends but emerging due to “external abnormal factors such as illegal immigration, irregular population mobility and administrative laxity”. It added that the demographic changes, though concentrated in border regions, now also affect urban centres, industrial corridors, tribal regions and other socially and economically sensitive areas. This, it said, was impacting public service delivery, local governance, resource distribution and social cohesion.The panel, tasked with recommending a permanent operational system for legal, fair and time-bound identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants, comes at a time when BJP is in office in the infiltration-prone states of Assam, Tripura and West Bengal. It has been given a year to submit its final report.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCong Leaders Demand Accountability, Apology From US After Three Indian Sailors Killed In StrikeRubio Tells EAM All Vessels Must Follow US Orders In Hormuz; India Protests Death Of 3 MarinersKalyan Banerjee Targets Rebel TMC Leaders: ‘If TMC Wins In 2029, Will They Resign?’Joint Tribes’ Council Accuses Kuki Cadres Of Killing Six Naga Captives, Seeks Immediate ArrestsCentre’s High-Level Committee On Demographic Changes Begins Work With Focus On Border RegionsYogi Orders FIR Over Remarks on Akhilesh’s Daughter, Says No Insult Against Women Is AcceptableHyderabad Cadet Nidhi Makes History With AIR 6, Fulfills Father’s Dream Of Serving The NationAssam Notifies New Excise Rules With Stricter Liquor Norms And Support For Indigenous BeveragesGovernment Appoints Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth As Next Army Chief, To Take Charge On June 30India, France Expected To Deepen Defence Cooperation With Focus On Submarines And Fighter Jets123Photostories6 most prestigious residential neighbourhoods in Thane for homebuyersNot every cancer begins with pain: Doctors reveal the everyday symptoms people often ignore for too longCrossover of Imtiaz Ali’s characters: Director says at a dinner table, ‘Geet will make bad order; Tara will help’ – Exclusive7 social skills that can help children become confident and make friends easily5 ancient temples in Karnataka that are architectural marvelsLong before becoming the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk survived on hot dogs and oranges for a day in CanadaWhat people who stay healthy into their 80s do differently every day5 signs life’s hardest phase is finally behind you5 animals that are often called the world’s dumbestHave you done the “sun test” before investing in a house123Hot PicksHardeep SinghUS Trade DealBullet Train ProjectBeijing ProtestYogi AdityanathPM ModiSpaceX IPORohit SharmaFortnite Gold Sprite Power Hour Start TimingTop TrendingAsha Sharma Net WorthUPSC Prelims ResultSpaceX IPOFIFA World Cup 2026Women T20 World CupPune Techie SuicideAbhishek BanerjeeComedian PranitTMC Leader Kunal GhoshCBSE Class 10 Second Board Result

PTI photo NEW DELHI: A high-level committee on demographic changes, constituted recently under Justice (retd) Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, will visit metropolitan areas and industrial towns, apart from border areas, as part of its assignment to examine the nature, causes and impact of demographic changes across the country, including due to illegal immigration. It will recommend policy, administrative and legal frameworks to address the issue in a time-bound manner.Home minister Amit Shah Saturday chaired a meeting with senior MHA officials to review arrangements for proper facilitation of the committee.The first meeting of the panel has already been convened and its agenda formulated. “MHA will provide logistical and other necessary support for proper functioning of the committee,” a ministry official said.According to a source, many illegal immigrants, particularly Bangladesh, have over the years travelled further to metropolitan areas and towns with a heavy concentration of industries. The onward journey usually takes place after securing identity documents like Aadhaar cards from tout networks and illegal agents.While notifying the panel last month, MHA had said demographic changes were visible in certain regions that were not attributable to normal fertility or mortality trends but emerging due to “external abnormal factors such as illegal immigration, irregular population mobility and administrative laxity”. It added that the demographic changes, though concentrated in border regions, now also affect urban centres, industrial corridors, tribal regions and other socially and economically sensitive areas. This, it said, was impacting public service delivery, local governance, resource distribution and social cohesion.The panel, tasked with recommending a permanent operational system for legal, fair and time-bound identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants, comes at a time when BJP is in office in the infiltration-prone states of Assam, Tripura and West Bengal. It has been given a year to submit its final report.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCong Leaders Demand Accountability, Apology From US After Three Indian Sailors Killed In StrikeRubio Tells EAM All Vessels Must Follow US Orders In Hormuz; India Protests Death Of 3 MarinersKalyan Banerjee Targets Rebel TMC Leaders: ‘If TMC Wins In 2029, Will They Resign?’Joint Tribes’ Council Accuses Kuki Cadres Of Killing Six Naga Captives, Seeks Immediate ArrestsCentre’s High-Level Committee On Demographic Changes Begins Work With Focus On Border RegionsYogi Orders FIR Over Remarks on Akhilesh’s Daughter, Says No Insult Against Women Is AcceptableHyderabad Cadet Nidhi Makes History With AIR 6, Fulfills Father’s Dream Of Serving The NationAssam Notifies New Excise Rules With Stricter Liquor Norms And Support For Indigenous BeveragesGovernment Appoints Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth As Next Army Chief, To Take Charge On June 30India, France Expected To Deepen Defence Cooperation With Focus On Submarines And Fighter Jets123Photostories6 most prestigious residential neighbourhoods in Thane for homebuyersNot every cancer begins with pain: Doctors reveal the everyday symptoms people often ignore for too longCrossover of Imtiaz Ali’s characters: Director says at a dinner table, ‘Geet will make bad order; Tara will help’ – Exclusive7 social skills that can help children become confident and make friends easily5 ancient temples in Karnataka that are architectural marvelsLong before becoming the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk survived on hot dogs and oranges for $1 a day in CanadaWhat people who stay healthy into their 80s do differently every day5 signs life’s hardest phase is finally behind you5 animals that are often called the world’s dumbestHave you done the “sun test” before investing in a house123Hot PicksHardeep SinghUS Trade DealBullet Train ProjectBeijing ProtestYogi AdityanathPM ModiSpaceX IPORohit SharmaFortnite Gold Sprite Power Hour Start TimingTop TrendingAsha Sharma Net WorthUPSC Prelims ResultSpaceX IPOFIFA World Cup 2026Women T20 World CupPune Techie SuicideAbhishek BanerjeeComedian PranitTMC Leader Kunal GhoshCBSE Class 10 Second Board Result

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