NEW DELHI: There was a 10% jump in suicides last year as compared to 2019, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). A total of 1,53,052 suicides were reported in the country in 2020. The suicide rate went up by 8.7%.
Delhi with 3,025 suicides earned the dubious distinction of topping among 53 mega cities. It was followed by Chennai which reported 2,430 suicides, Bengaluru (2,196) and Mumbai (1,282).
These four cities together saw almost 37.4% of the total cases reported from 53 mega cities.
Chennai showed a slight decline in 2020 as against 2019 while Delhi recorded an increase of 24.8%, Bengaluru 5.5% and Mumbai observed a rise of 4.3%.
Family problems and illness become the major factors forcing people to take the extreme step.
Ac-wage earners, followed by self-employed persons (male) and housewives contributed the highest numbers among those who ended their lives last year.
A total 1,085,32 of men ended their lives, maximum being daily-wagers (33,164) followed by self-employed (15,990) and unemployed persons (12,893), the NCRB report stated.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).