14 people commit suicide every hour in India

Fourteen people commit suicide every hour in India due to various reasons, ranging from failure in relationships, bankruptcy, illness and social disrepute. Read on...

Fourteen people commit suicide every hour in India due to various reasons, ranging from failure in relationships, bankruptcy, illness and social disrepute.

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One among every three suicide victims is a youth and one among five is a house wife.

These are some of the the findings of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which came out with the latest figures on accidents and suicides in the country.

According to the 'Accidental Deaths and Suicide in India -- 2007' report, the country witnessed an increase of 3.8 per cent in the incidents of suicide with 1,22,637 people ending their lives last year. The number of women was 43,342.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of suicides with 15,184 cases accounting for 12.4 per cent of such incidents followed by Andhra Pradesh with 14,882 (12.1 per cent).

The report said 264 deaths came under common pact of mass or family suicides consisting 118 men and 146 women.

The highest number of such cases were reported from Kerala (39), followed by Andhra Pradesh (34) and Madhya Pradesh (12).

Family problems and illness were another causes for suicide, accounting for 23.8 per cent and 22.3 per cent respectively. Failure in relationships (2.8 per cent), bankruptcy (2.7) and dowry dispute (2.6) were other major factors.

Ending life due to ideological affiliations and hero worship, a disturbing trend witnessed in the late 1970s and early '80s, claimed 261 lives.