Report On Suicides Among Farm Workers: NCRB
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released a report on Suicides among farm workers.
- The number of agricultural labourers who died by suicide in 2020 was 18% higher than the previous year.
- Overall, 10,677 people engaged in the farm sector died by suicide in 2020.
- However, suicides among landowning farmers dropped slightly during the pandemic year.
- Landless agricultural labourers, who did not benefit from income support schemes such as PM Kisan, may have faced higher levels of distress during the pandemic.
- The worst among the States continues to be Maharashtra, with 4,006 suicides in the farm sector, including a 15% increase in farm worker suicides.
- Other States with a poor record include Karnataka (2016), Andhra Pradesh (889) and Madhya Pradesh (735). Karnataka saw a dismal 43% increase in the number of farm worker suicides in 2020.
