Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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The World Bank’s 2024 report highlights the “Middle-Income Trap,” where countries stuck in middle-income status struggle to advance to high-income levels. This trap often occurs around $8,000 GDP per capita. Since 1990, only 34 of 108 middle-income countries have moved to high-income status. Key challenges include aging populations, rising protectionism, and the need for faster energy transitions. India, classified as a lower-middle-income country since 2007, has a GNI per capita of $2,540 and would need 75 years to reach one-quarter of U.S. income per capita at current trends.

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India remained the eighth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2023, despite exports dropping from $55 billion in 2022 to $51 billion. This occurred amid a general decline in agricultural exports among most top ten exporting nations. The WTO Trade Statistics 2023 report shows that only Brazil, the European Union (EU), and Thailand saw growth. Brazil’s exports increased by 6% to $157 billion, the EU’s rose by 5% to $836 billion, and Thailand’s grew by 0.2%.

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The India Rankings 2024 were released by the Union Education Minister, based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). IIT Madras ranked 1st in the Overall Category for the sixth year and in Engineering for the ninth year.
IISc Bengaluru topped the Universities Category for the ninth year and Research Institutions for the fourth year. IIM Ahmedabad ranked 1st in Management for the fifth year. AIIMS Delhi topped the Medical Category for the seventh year. Jamia Hamdard, Delhi, ranked 1st in Pharmacy. NLSIU Bengaluru retained 1st position in Law. NIRF was launched in 2015 and uses five broad parameters for ranking. The 2024 edition introduced three new categories: State Public Universities, Open Universities, and Skill Universities, and integrated “Innovation” rankings.

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The International Labour Organization released the “Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024” report, marking its 20th anniversary. The report highlights achievements, challenges, and future outlooks for youth employment. In 2023, the global youth unemployment rate dropped to 13%, the lowest in 15 years, with 64.9 million unemployed youth, the lowest since 2000. 20.4% of youth were classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training), showing broad labor market exclusion. Two-thirds of young NEETs are women.

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 25th issue of the ‘Women and Men in India 2023’ report, offering a comprehensive view of gender-related data. By 2036, India’s population is expected to reach 152.2 crore, with the female percentage increasing to 48.8%. The sex ratio is projected to rise from 943 (2011) to 952 (2036). The working-age population (15-59 years) is expected to grow from 60.7% to 64.9% by 2036. Life expectancy is projected to improve to 71.2 years for males and 74.7 years for females by 2031-36.

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The UN General Assembly recently launched the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) to help small island states and developing countries access low-interest financing. The MVI is a new international benchmark for measuring vulnerability and resilience in sustainable development at the national level. It complements traditional metrics like GDP by addressing the specific needs of countries with unique vulnerabilities that don’t qualify for low-interest financing based solely on GDP per capita. The UN is working with small island developing states (SIDS) to develop and implement the MVI.

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The Ministry of Women and Child Development released the Model Foster Care Guidelines (MFCG), 2024, updating the 2016 guidelines based on various legal frameworks. Foster care involves placing a child with a family other than their biological one, approved by the Child Welfare Committee. The new guidelines extend eligibility to single females and allow them to foster or adopt any gender, while single males can only foster male children. Any individual can foster, regardless of marital status, but married couples must have a stable relationship of 2 years. Foster parents can now adopt a child after fostering for 2 years, instead of 5.

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The Health Ministry released the “Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure and Human Resources) 2022-23” report, formerly known as Rural Health Statistics. India has 714 district hospitals and 362 medical colleges. Rural health facilities have increased from 2005 to 2023, with around 32,000 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) nationwide, 25,000 of which are in rural areas. Doctors and medical officers in PHCs increased from 20,000 to 32,000, but vacancies have nearly doubled. Many Sub-Centres (SCs) and Urban PHCs (U-PHCs) operate in rented buildings, with a 36% shortfall in U-PHCs as per urban population norms.

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International Rhino Foundation recently published the report named ‘State of the Rhino 2024’ report. It highlights positive trends for Greater One-Horned Rhinos. Their population has increased by 20% in the last decade, now exceeding 4,000. They are found in the Indo-Nepal Terai, northern West Bengal, and Assam. India has 3,262 Greater One-Horned Rhinos (2021), mostly in Assam. Over 90% of them are in Kaziranga National Park.

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NITI Aayog released an Expert Group report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response —A Framework for Action’. The report offers a blueprint for rapid response to future public health emergencies. COVID-19 is not the last pandemic; 75% of future threats could be zoonotic. The report offers a 100-day response plan for pandemics, focusing on governance, data management, and partnerships. India’s efforts during COVID-19, like digital tools and R&D, were highlighted. The report recommends strengthening legislation, surveillance, and capacity-building. It involved consultations with over 60 experts and stakeholders. The framework aims to better prepare and manage future outbreaks effectively.