NATIONAL NEWS

NCRB Report Highlights Rise in Juvenile Crime in 2024

• The NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) recorded 34,878 cases involving juveniles in 2024, up from 31,365 cases in 2023.

• The juvenile crime rate increased from 7.1 (2023) to 7.9 (2024), indicating a rising trend.

• Across India, 42,633 juveniles were apprehended in connection with criminal cases during 2024.

• The legal framework for such cases is governed by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

• Under this Act, a child means any person below 18 years, and separate procedures are followed for inquiry and rehabilitation.

• In 2024, around 77.7% of apprehended juveniles belonged to the 16–18 years age group.

• This age group is significant because the JJ Act permits preliminary assessment in heinous offences committed by children aged 16–18.

• Among metropolitan cities, Delhi reported 2,306 juvenile crime cases in 2024, including 144 murder cases and 58 rape cases involving juveniles.

NCRB 2024: Delhi Tops Crimes Against Children and Juvenile Crime

• Delhi recorded the highest number of crimes against children in 2024, with 7,662 cases, as per NCRB data.

• The city also reported the highest number of juvenile crime cases among metropolitan cities, registering 2,306 cases in 2024.

• Crimes against children in Delhi showed fluctuation: 7,769 (2023), 7,468 (2022), and 7,662 (2024).

• Delhi's crime rate against children stood at 138.4 per lakh child population, which was over three times the national average of 42.3.

• The largest category was kidnapping and abduction, accounting for 5,404 cases in Delhi during 2024.

• In the same category, Mumbai recorded 1,831 cases, while Bengaluru reported 1,136 cases.

• Delhi's juvenile crime rate was about 42 cases per one lakh minors, with major offences including theft (526), snatching (217), and attempt to murder (210).

• Delhi apprehended 3,270 juveniles in 2024, and the NCRB classifies such persons below 18 years as Children in Conflict with Law under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.

NCRB 2024: Bengaluru Tops Cybercrime Among Indian Metros

• Bengaluru recorded 17,561 cybercrime cases in 2024, the highest among metropolitan cities, as per NCRB Crime in India 2024 data.

• The city reported a cybercrime rate of 206.6 cases per one lakh population in 2024, the highest among Indian metros.

• Bengaluru alone accounted for more than half of the cyber offences registered in metropolitan cities during 2024.

• The city reported 17,631 cybercrime cases in 2023, showing a slight decline in 2024.

• Fraud was the dominant category, with 16,842 cases registered in Bengaluru in 2024.

• Bengaluru also reported 17,310 computer-related offences under cybercrime classification during the year.

• Karnataka registered 21,993 cybercrime cases in 2024, placing it among the leading states in cybercrime reporting.

• At the national level, cybercrime cases increased to 1,01,928 in 2024 from 86,420 in 2023, reflecting a 17.9% rise, while Bengaluru's charge-sheeting rate stood at 24.2% with 16,657 cases involving cheating by personation using computer resources.

AWARDS

Soma Mandal Wins Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2026 (South Asia)

• Soma Mandal, a science teacher from GD Goenka Public School, Delhi, won the South Asia regional title of the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2026.

• The award was announced on 6–7 May 2026 by Cambridge University Press & Assessment under its International Education group.

• The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards honour outstanding teachers across different global regions for their dedication and innovation in education.

• In the 2026 edition, more than 12,000 nominations were received from 126 countries worldwide.

• A total of nine regional winners were selected globally for this year's awards.

• Soma Mandal was recognised for creating a climate-focused curriculum, encouraging students to actively engage with environmental learning.

• As a regional winner, she will receive £500 worth of books, a trophy, and international recognition for her school.

• Her name will be featured in a "Thank You" page of new Cambridge textbooks to be released in November 2026, while voting for the global winner continues until 13 May 2026 and the final winner will be announced on 2 June 2026.

SPORTS

India Women's Recurve Team Defeats South Korea at Archery World Cup 2026

• The Indian women's recurve team defeated South Korea 5–1 in the semifinal of Archery World Cup Stage 2 at Shanghai on 7 May 2026.

• The Indian team consisted of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Kumkum Mohod.

• With this win, India qualified for the final of the women's recurve team event.

• The match was played under the set-point format, which is followed in international recurve team competitions.

• The recurve category is the only archery discipline included in the Olympic Games, making this victory highly significant.

• South Korea remains a dominant force in women's recurve archery, having won 10 Olympic gold medals in the event.

• This was India's fourth international victory over the South Korean women's recurve team.

• In the final, India was scheduled to face China, while the Indian men's recurve team exited early after losing 2–6 to Bangladesh in the opening round.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE

JANANI Digital Platform Launched for Maternal & Child Healthcare

• JANANI was launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 7 May 2026 in New Delhi to strengthen maternal and child healthcare delivery.

• JANANI stands for Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care.

• It is an upgraded and advanced version of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Portal.

• The platform aims to create long-term digital health records for women throughout their reproductive life cycle.

• Key features include QR-based Mother and Child Health cards, high-risk pregnancy alerts, due-date reminders, and real-time monitoring dashboards.

• JANANI is integrated with U-WIN and POSHAN Abhiyaan, linking healthcare services with immunisation and nutrition programmes.

• Registration is enabled through ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) along with Aadhaar verification and mobile-based authentication.

• As of 7 May 2026, JANANI had registered 1.34 crore beneficiaries, including over 30 lakh pregnant women, generated 30+ lakh digital cards, and completed 1 lakh+ biometric verifications.

MISCELLANEOUS

South Korea Unveils First Humanoid Robot Monk "Gabi"

• South Korea introduced its first humanoid robot monk named Gabi at a Buddhist ceremony held at Jogyesa Temple on 6 May 2026.

• The robot was presented by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism ahead of Buddha's Birthday celebrations on 24 May 2026.

• Gabi is a humanoid robot with a human-like structure and is about 130 cm tall, dressed in traditional grey-and-brown Buddhist robes.

• During the precept ceremony, the robot bowed to senior monks, pledged devotion, and was formally inducted into Buddhist rituals.

• It received the Dharma name "Gabi", formed from Siddhartha (Buddha's birth name) and jabi (Korean word meaning mercy).

• The Jogye Order framed five modified Buddhist precepts for the robot, including respect for life, avoiding harm to robots/objects, obeying humans, not lying, and conserving energy.

• Gabi was given a 108-bead rosary and a Lotus Lantern Festival sticker, while the traditional yeonbi incense burn ritual was replaced.

• The robot is expected to participate in lantern parades with other Buddhist robots like Seokja, Mohee, and Nisa, linked with the Lotus Lantern Festival celebrations.