Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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Madurai drew public attention after Swachh Survekshan 2025 rankings went viral, labelling it among India’s dirtiest cities. As per the Swachh Survekshan 2025 report, Madurai in Tamil Nadu (TN) was ranked the dirtiest city among Indian cities with a population above 10 lakh. The city scored well in cleanliness of markets, water bodies, and residential zones but fared poorly in waste processing (4%), toilet cleanliness (3%), door-to-door collection (37%), segregation (26%), and dumpsite remediation (25%). Madurai generates 850–900 tonnes of waste daily, with 60% wet waste. 30 micro compost centres and a biogas plant at Vellakkal yard are being developed.

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In November 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the India AI Governance Guidelines. The framework aims to advance AI innovation while mitigating risks and aligning with India’s societal and national priorities. A drafting committee, formed in July 2025, studied global models, laws, and literature to shape India’s AI governance structure. The guidelines are based on seven core principles and six key pillars — Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Policy & Regulation, Risk Mitigation, Accountability, and Institutions. It recommends expanding data and compute access, building AI skills, and ensuring balanced regulation and liability systems.

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The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative released the State of the Cryosphere Report 2025. The report covers five key cryosphere components: Ice Sheets, Mountain Glaciers and Snow, Polar Oceans, Sea Ice, and Permafrost. Greenland and Antarctic losses have quadrupled since the 1990s, causing sea-level rise that threatens infrastructure, homes, farmland, and livelihoods in coastal areas. Rising greenhouse gases weaken heat and carbon absorption and slow Antarctic Overturning Circulation (AOC) and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). 273 gigatons of ice lost per year (2000–2023), threatening water, food, and security for billions. Extent and thickness declined 40–60% since 1979, impacting Arctic amplification, species, weather, and ocean currents.

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The WHO released the Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 (GLASS), highlighting that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in India remains one of the highest globally. The report revealed that one in three bacterial infections in India in 2023 was resistant to common antibiotics, far above the global average of one in six. Experts observed that India’s surveillance data—mainly from tertiary hospitals—overestimates national resistance levels, as primary and secondary care settings are underrepresented. The WHO urged India to expand nationwide surveillance and strengthen antibiotic stewardship. The report acknowledged India’s initiatives, including the National Programme on AMR Containment and Kerala’s AMRITH, which reduced over-the-counter antibiotic sales and showed early declines in AMR.

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World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 Report was released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). Cities now host 45% of the global population, estimated at around 8.2 billion. The number of megacities has increased from eight in 1975 to thirty-three in 2025, where a megacity means a city with more than ten million people. Jakarta (Indonesia) is now the world’s most populous city, followed by Dhaka (Bangladesh), Tokyo (Japan) and New Delhi. India has 44% of its population living in towns, showing rapid urban growth. India, along with six other countries, is projected to add over 500 million new urban residents between 2025 and 2050.

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2025 Commitment to Development Index (CDI) shows countries are giving less finance for international development in a globally interconnected world. The index is published by the Centre for Global Development (CGD) based in Washington DC and London. CDI evaluates countries on eight components including development finance investment migration trade and global public goods in environment health security and technology. Sweden ranks 1st overall for the second time with top performance in environment and strong results in development finance and health. Germany ranks 2nd and Norway ranks 3rd followed by Finland and United Kingdom in the top five. India ranks 36th overall with 8th rank in environment due to low emissions per capita. India needs major improvement in trade development finance investment migration and security where it ranks among the lowest performers

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The 2025 femicide report was released jointly by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women. It marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The report highlights that 83,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2024, with 60% by intimate partners or family members. Highest femicide rates were in Africa (3 per 100,000), followed by Americas (1.5), Oceania (1.4), Asia (0.7), Europe (0.5). UNODC and UN Women are working with countries to improve data collection, classification, and prevention strategies for gender-related killings.

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The warning was released in the United Nations 2025 Asia-Pacific Disaster Report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Cities like Delhi, Karachi, Shanghai, Dhaka, Manila, and Seoul may face an extra 2 to 7 degree Celsius rise due to the urban heat island effect. Even if global warming is limited to 1.5–2 degree Celsius, city temperatures will rise much higher locally. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may face over 300 days above 35 degree Celsius heat index each year. A heat index above 41 degree Celsius poses extreme danger of heat stroke. The April–May 2024 Bangladesh heatwave affected 33 million people, while India lost about 700 lives.

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FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) publishes The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) 2025 every two years. SOLAW 2025 highlights the untapped potential of land, soil, and water to improve sustainable agricultural production, food security, ecosystem services, and resilience. By 2050, agriculture must produce 50% more food, feed, and fibre compared to 2012 and use 25% more freshwater, while expanding farmland is no longer feasible. More than 60% of human-induced land degradation occurs on agricultural lands. Agriculture accounts for more than 70% of global freshwater withdrawal. Intensive farming and excessive chemical use cause pollution and depletion of soil, land, and water resources.

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UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025 was jointly released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank Group. The report analyses global progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), tracking access to essential health services and financial protection. It highlights improvements in health service coverage and reductions in financial hardship due to out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenses since 2000. The report identifies persistent inequalities, with the poorest and most vulnerable populations facing the greatest barriers to UHC. It provides recommendations for governments, including expanding public health investments, reducing OOP costs, strengthening primary care, and promoting equitable access to essential services.