Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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Bengaluru topped in India in the 2025 Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) City Index, ranked 26th globally. It is the top AI hub in India, known for AI Research and Development (R&D) and data centers. Bengaluru attracts major foreign investment due to its strong startup ecosystem. Other top Indian cities include Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata. Indian cities need a clear AI roadmap and strong regulations to grow further. Globally, Singapore ranked 1st, followed by Seoul, Beijing, Dubai, and San Francisco. The 2025 Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) City Index is released by Counterpoint Research, a global technology market research firm.

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NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Unlocking a $200 Billion Opportunity: Electric Vehicles in India’ to accelerate India’s electric mobility shift. India aims for 30% electric vehicle (EV) share in total vehicle sales by 2030. EV sales in India rose from 50,000 in 2016 to 2.08 million in 2024. In contrast, global EV sales rose from 918,000 in 2016 to 18.78 million in 2024. India’s EV penetration grew from one-fifth of global levels in 2020 to over two-fifth in 2024, showing steady progress. The report was based on 7 stakeholder consultations held at NITI Aayog. It highlights key challenges, strategic unlocks, and next steps to fast-track EV adoption.

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India ranked 67th in the Numbeo Safety Index mid-2025 with a score of 55.8. Mangalore emerged as India’s safest city, ranked 49th globally with a safety index score of 74.2. Gujarat’s Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Surat followed with scores of 69.2, 68.2, and 66.6 respectively. New Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad were among India’s most unsafe cities with high crime index scores of 59.03, 55.1, and 58.44. Rankings were based on public perceptions of crimes like robbery, assault, harassment, and vandalism. Globally, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, led for the ninth year with a score of 88.8.

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The global economy is changing due to geopolitical tensions and financial volatility. Nations are redefining competition based on growth, stability, and adaptability. The latest International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) shows developed economies facing challenges. Switzerland remains the most competitive economy globally with strengths in economic, business, and governance factors. Singapore ranks second, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) is third. India dropped to 41st place in 2025 from 39th in 2024. India performs well in economic performance and business efficiency.

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NITI Aayog launched the report “Rethinking Homestays: Navigating Policy Pathways” with Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). It highlights homestays as drivers of cultural immersion, local entrepreneurship, and job creation. It calls for light-touch, transparent regulations to ensure safety, heritage protection, and sustainable growth. It stresses public–private collaboration with partners like MakeMyTrip and Airbnb. The report suggests digital platforms, flexible policies, capacity building, and state best practices to build a resilient homestay sector.

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The National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025 was released by the National Commission for Women (NCW). The survey covered 12,770 women across 31 cities in India. The national safety score is 65%, meaning 40% of women feel unsafe despite government assurances. 60% of women reported feeling safe, while younger women under 24 reported harassment at 14%, double the national average. Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai are the safest cities. Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi are the least safe cities. The report frames women’s safety as a developmental issue, encompassing physical, psychological, financial, and digital security.

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Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in India reached a record low of 25 in 2023, down 37.5% from 40 in 2013, as per Sample Registration System (SRS) report by Registrar General of India. IMR measures deaths of children per 1,000 live births under one year; lower numbers indicate better health access. Highest IMR reported in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh at 37; lowest in Manipur at 3; Kerala at 5. Rural IMR dropped from 44 to 28; urban IMR from 27 to 18. Birth rate declined from 36.9 in 1971 to 18.4 in 2023; highest in Bihar at 25.8, lowest in Andaman & Nicobar at 10.1. Death rate decreased from 14.9 in 1971 to 6.4 in 2023; Chandigarh lowest at 4, Chhattisgarh highest at 8.3. Data highlights improvements in public health and narrowing rural-urban gaps.

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India’s Crude Birth Rate (CBR) declined from 19.1 in 2022 to 18.4 in 2023, a fall of 0.7 points. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell for the first time in two years to 1.9 in 2023 from 2.0 in 2021–22. Bihar reported the highest CBR at 25.8, while Tamil Nadu had the lowest at 12. Bihar also had the highest TFR at 2.8, while Delhi reported the lowest at 1.2. 18 States and Union Territories (UTs) recorded TFR below the replacement level of 2.1. Northern States with above-replacement TFR include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. Data comes from the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2023 released by the Registrar General of India.

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Swachh Vayu Survekshan (SVS) 2025 is an annual survey by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). It evaluates 130 cities on eight parameters like road dust, solid waste, vehicular and industrial emissions, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, public awareness, and particulate matter reduction. Indore topped million-plus-population cities, followed by Jabalpur and Agra/Surat. Navi Mumbai ranked 4th, Kanpur 5th, Bhopal 6th, Delhi 32nd, Bengaluru 36th, Kolkata 38th, and Chennai 41st. In 3–10 lakh category, Amravati ranked first; in under 3 lakh category, Dewas ranked first. PM10 levels reduced in 103 cities, with Mumbai showing the highest decline (44%), followed by Kolkata (37%), Hyderabad and Bengaluru (26%), Delhi (15%), and Chennai (12%).

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UNICEF released the Child Nutrition Report 2025 on 10th September 2025 highlighting rising unhealthy diets and childhood obesity. 5% of children under-5 and 20% of children and adolescents aged 5–19 are overweight, doubling since 2000. In 2025, obesity prevalence was 9.4% and underweight prevalence was 9.2% among school-age children and adolescents. In South Asia, overweight prevalence among 5–19-year-olds increased almost fivefold since 2000. Key drivers include availability and affordability of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), aggressive digital marketing, and policy gaps. Only 7% of countries have mandatory front-of-pack labeling, and 8% provide subsidies for healthy foods. Recommendations include protecting breastfeeding, transforming food environments with restrictions and taxes, promoting nutritious foods, and strengthening social protection and behavior-change initiatives.