LUCKNOW, May 10 -- Uttar Pradesh recorded a sharp decline in juvenile crime cases in 2024 even as the national total rose to its highest level in three years, according to data on crimes committed by juveniles compiled under the Crime in India report recently released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) earlier this week. The report stated that the state registered 1,175 juvenile crime cases in 2024, down from 1,575 in 2023 and 1,505 in 2022-a fall of 25.4% in a single year and a three-year low. Uttar Pradesh's rate of juvenile crime stood at 1.4 per lakh of child population in 2024. At the national level, the total number of juvenile crime cases rose from 31,365 in 2023 to 34,878 in 2024-an increase of 3,513 cases, or 11.2%. The all-India figure for 2022 was 30,555. The national juvenile crime rate stood at 7.9 per lakh of child population in 2024. Uttar Pradesh has the largest child population of any state in the country at 853.3 lakh, as per the 2011 Census figures cited in the data. The report further stated that Bihar recorded the most dramatic increase among all states. The state's juvenile crime cases rose from 1,818 in 2023 to 5,037 in 2024-an increase of 3,219 cases, or 177%, in a single year. Bihar had recorded 1,052 cases in 2022. Its juvenile crime rate in 2024 stood at 10.6 per lakh. Bihar's single-year increase of 3,219 cases accounted for the bulk of the national rise of 3,513 cases between 2023 and 2024. Among other major states, Maharashtra recorded 3,779 juvenile crime cases in 2024, down from 4,406 in 2022, at a rate of 10.5 per lakh. Madhya Pradesh registered 3,474 cases at a rate of 12.1 per lakh. Rajasthan recorded 2,827 cases at 10.0 per lakh. Tamil Nadu logged 2,946 cases at 14.3 per lakh. Chhattisgarh recorded the highest juvenile crime rate among all states at 22.4 per lakh, with 2,180 cases in 2024. Haryana registered 1,550 cases at a rate of 17.0 per lakh. Telangana recorded 1,569 cases at 13.8 per lakh. Jharkhand recorded the lowest rate among states with reported cases at 0.9 per lakh, with 122 cases in 2024. Manipur registered only 3 cases. Nagaland recorded zero cases. Among Union Territories, Delhi recorded 2,306 juvenile crime cases in 2024 at a rate of 41.6 per lakh-the highest rate of any State or UT in the dataset. Delhi accounted for 82% of all juvenile crime cases registered across Union Territories. Chandigarh recorded the second highest UT rate at 27.2 per lakh with 88 cases. The total for all Union Territories stood at 2,797 cases in 2024, down from 2,955 in 2022. Ladakh and Lakshadweep recorded zero juvenile crime cases in 2024. States collectively accounted for 32,081 of the 34,878 total juvenile crime cases recorded across the country in 2024. The total for states in 2022 was 27,600 and 28,452 in 2023. The data covers crimes registered under the Indian Penal Code, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Special and Local Laws. Child population figures used for calculating crime rates are based on the 2011 Census. Crime rate is calculated as incidence per lakh of child population....