LUCKNOW, May 11 -- Uttar Pradesh has bucked the national trend of declining suicides, with the state's overall numbers remaining virtually unchanged in 2024 even as several major urban centres, particularly Lucknow and Meerut, witnessed sharp and deeply concerning spikes in suicide deaths, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024.

Lucknow emerged as one of the country's most concerning hotspots, recording a staggering increase in suicides. The state capital reported 389 suicides in 2024 against 218 in 2023 - among the sharpest rise of 78.44 recorded by any major Indian city . Only Meerut reported steeper percentage increase of 151.724%, with suicides rising from 29 to...