Crimes against women: India's law and order machinery needs a reboot

National Crime Records Bureau data shows a 4% rise in the number of crimes against women in 2022 over 2021, and nearly a 20% increase compared to the number of gender crimes reported in 2020

As protests rage across the country and a political blame game ensues over the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital case, questions are rightfully being raised about women’s safety in the country. The horrific rape and murder of an on-duty trainee doctor in Kolkata last week brought back memories of the nurse who was raped in Mumbai in 1973. Both the victims faced brutality in their workplace. What has added to the horror is that it has happened in a sector where women work in large numbers. Unfortunately, sexual harassment and other heinous crimes against women