Do Indians feel safe walking alone at night in their neighbourhoods? Depends on how you ask or calculate, Pg17.

Key Highlights:

• A recent study by the Statistics Ministry's Household Survey Division found that 88-90% of Indians feel safe walking alone in their neighborhoods after dark based on telephonic surveys.
• The proportion drops to 68% when the survey is conducted in-person and to 51% when calculated as defined by the United Nations (UN).
• The study examined the feasibility of collecting data on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator related to the proportion of the population that feels safe walking alone.
• Gallup's latest Global Safety Report (2024) indicates that 73% of adults worldwide feel safe walking alone at night where they live, with India ranking 59th out of 144 countries at 72%.

Detailed Insights:

• The UN's definition of the safety indicator includes response options like 'very safe', 'safe', 'unsafe', 'very unsafe', 'I never go out alone at night', 'does not apply', and 'don’t know'.
• The MoSPI officials argue that the UN's definition is problematic because individuals who never go out alone after dark cannot answer 'very safe' or 'safe', skewing the indicator's calculation.
• The SDG indicator falls under the 16th goal, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice, and build effective institutions.
• UNICEF notes that the 'fear of crime' can negatively influence well-being, reduce public engagement and trust, and hinder development.
• Gallup's 2024 Global Safety Report highlights that women are generally less likely than men to feel secure walking alone at night.
• Singapore, Tajikistan, and China have the highest percentages of respondents feeling safe walking alone at night, while South Africa has the lowest.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all".
• Global Indicators: Metrics used to track progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the global, regional, and national levels.
• Household Survey: A type of survey that collects data from a sample of households within a specific population, often used for socio-economic research.