Alarming Statistics: Over 13 Lakh Women and Girls Missing in India!
According to a press release from the home ministry, the responsibility to maintain law and order, including the investigation and prosecution of crimes against women, lies with individual state governments. The ministry highlighted the creation of a database of “sexual offenders” as an additional measure taken to protect women. Government statistics reveal that more than 13.13 lakh women and girls went missing in India between 2019 and 2021, with Madhya Pradesh reporting the highest number of cases. The data also shows that over 90,000 young women under 18 were among the reported missing individuals in 2021. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, aimed at deterring sexual offenses, was mentioned as one of several initiatives for women’s safety. It emphasizes harsher punishments, including the death penalty, for the rape of girls under 12. The home ministry also launched the National Database on Sexual Offenders in 2018 to help law enforcement agencies track and inve...