DEHRADUN: A controversial report by Pvalue Analytics, which branded Dehradun an "unsafe city" for women in its National Annual Report and Index (NARI) 2025, has sparked outrage in Uttarakhand.
The report has drawn sharp criticism and a full-scale challenge from the State Women's Commission and local police.
The Uttarakhand State Women's Commission has vehemently objected to the report, casting serious doubt on its reliability.
On Tuesday, the Commission issued a stern directive to Pvalue Analytics, demanding that all survey-related documents and minutes of meetings to be submitted within one week.
On Monday, Mayank Dahiya, a representative from Pvalue Analytics, appeared before the Commission.
He described the NARI 2025 as an "academic report" and expressed regret over the controversy, but failed to provide satisfactory answers to the Commission's pointed questions regarding the methodology and data.
Due to a lack of crucial information, the Commission has now ordered the company's Managing Director and the entire research team to appear at the next hearing," a Commission official told.
Commission Chairperson, Kusum Kandwal did not mince words, telling TNIE, "Several serious flaws have been found in the report. It is entirely unclear which women were included in the survey, what specific questions were asked, and what the actual research criteria were."
She warned, "If a satisfactory explanation is not provided by the company at the next hearing on September 15, the Commission will not hesitate to take necessary action."
In a separate development, sources close to TNIE revealed that Pvalue Analytics representatives appeared before Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh, where they struggled to provide convincing answers to police queries.
The police probe was launched following widespread objections from trader organisations, hotel associations, and educational institutions, all of whom demanded action against the report for categorising Dehradun among the 10 most unsafe cities for women in the country.
SSP Singh had earlier assigned the investigation to SP Rishikesh, who had issued a notice to the company.
On Monday, Dahiya also met with SSP Singh, claiming the survey was conducted for a university academic research curriculum, with two distinct teams handling data collection and analysis.
However, he reportedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations for fundamental questions about the survey's basis.
SSP Ajay Singh has now directed the company's Managing Director, along with members of the data collection and analysis teams, and all documents related to the research/survey, to be presented within a week.
"If satisfactory answers are not provided within the stipulated time, or if the facts presented are found to be baseless, strict legal action will be taken against the company," the SSP Singh clarified, underscoring the seriousness of the allegations.
Pvalue Analytics, the firm behind the controversial report, also has a prominent project team.
The project's Principal Investigator is Prof. (Dr.) Manjula Batra, a Senior Professor at The NorthCap University, Gurugram, and former Dean and Head of the Faculty of Law at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi.
Karan Kataria, a Rajya Sabha Research Fellow and Lecturer at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, serves as Co-Principal Investigator.
Sumit Arora, a Partner at Pvalue Analytics, is the Project Director, with Dr. Seema Tiwari of Pvalue Analytics serving as the Project Manager.