A Socioeconomic Triad: Exploring Unemployment, The Gini Index, and Crime in India (2015–2022)

This study explores the intricate interrelationship between unemployment, Gini coefficient, and crime in post-reform Indiafrom 2015 to 2022. Positioned within the broader framework of socio-economic development and public policy, this studyinvestigates the extent to which structural economic indicators influence criminal activity across states and over time.Utilizing a robust empirical framework, the research draws on diverse and authoritative data sources: unemployment datafor 2015–2017 is extracted from the Labour Bureau’s Employment Unemployment Surveys (EUS), while later years rely onperiodic national statistics; income inequality data (Gini coefficient) is derived from the SBI Research Reports and the PressInformation Bureau; crime statistics are sourced from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), under the Ministry ofHome Affairs. By quantifying the relationship between the crime rate per lakh population and key economic indicators, thisstudy aims to validate or challenge existing theoretical models that posit economic distress as a driver of criminal behaviour.Through regression analysis and trend examination, the findings intend to offer explain insights into how unemploymentand inequality independently and collectively affect crime patterns. The research ultimately contributes to policy discourseon employment generation, equitable growth, and crime prevention strategies in contemporary India.