Why it is in the news
On 28 September 2026, a data analysis of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports (rape cases under the general criminal law, excluding POCSO Act cases) showed that while rape registrations have stayed broadly steady since 2018 — an average of about 84 cases a day — court pendency keeps mounting. Of 2,06,777 rape cases before trial courts in 2024, nearly 90% were still pending at year-end, and only 421 cases — about 2% of those sent to trial that year — ended in conviction within the same year. The analysis followed the gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl at Astha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir, southeast Delhi, on 21 September 2026 by three men posing as police personnel, and videos from Jamui and Samastipur (Bihar) showing harassment of girls in public spaces.
The exam angle
Issue: India has repeatedly toughened rape laws, yet justice remains slow and uncertain — about 90% of rape trials are pending and only about 2% of cases reach conviction in the year they enter court.