Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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The WHO’s “South-East Asia Regional Status Report on Road Safety” was released at the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. The South-East Asia Region accounts for 28% of global road traffic deaths, with an estimated 330,222 fatalities. In India, there were about 216,618 estimated road traffic deaths in 2021, with reported deaths at 153,972. Two- and three-wheeler drivers/riders make up 45.1% of these deaths. India’s road traffic death rate is 15.4 per 100,000 people, higher than the global rate of 15.

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NITI Aayog released an Expert Group Report on future pandemic preparedness, reflecting on COVID-19 challenges.
It highlights the “One Health” approach for zoonotic disease threats. Issues faced during COVID-19 included outdated laws, fragmented data sources, and weak industry-research links. Key recommendations include enacting a Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) to cover broader crises. It proposes creating an Empowered Group of Secretaries for pandemic preparedness, setting up a special fund, and improving data integration. It calls for a stronger surveillance network, predictive modeling, and innovation hubs for vaccine development and skill-building.

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Kerala secured the top spot in the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2024 for the second consecutive year. The index was released during the FSSAI Global Food Regulators Summit 2024. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) releases this index annually since 2018-19. The SFSI aims to improve food safety standards in India. It evaluates states based on five metrics: data management, compliance, food testing, training, and consumer empowerment. In 2023, a new parameter, ‘Improvement in SFSI Rank,’ was added. The index promotes safe and nutritious food for the population.

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The Asia Power Index Report 2024, published by the Lowy Institute, shows India has overtaken Japan to become the third-ranked power in Asia. This index evaluates 27 countries based on military capability, economic relationships, and cultural influence, among other factors. The United States and China hold the first and second positions, respectively. The report highlights India’s potential for growth, driven by its vast population and resources, despite it not yet reaching its full potential in regional influence.

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The World Bank’s latest World Development Report focuses on the middle-income (MI) trap, highlighting that it may take nearly 75 years for economies currently in this trap to progress. Since 1987, the World Bank has classified economies into four categories: high income, upper middle income, lower middle income, and low income. While high-income countries have doubled from 41 to 86, low-income countries have reduced from 49 to 26. Currently, there are 108 middle-income countries, making up 75% of the global population and contributing about 38% of global GDP.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP). The aim is to combat dengue and other Aedes-borne arboviruses like Zika and chikungunya through a coordinated global response. The SPRP will run for over a year, until September 2025. It focuses on five key components: emergency coordination, collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, and access to countermeasures. The SPRP aligns with other global initiatives, including the Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030 and the Global Arbovirus Initiative.

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India ranks 105th out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), with a score of 27.3, placing it in the ‘serious’ category. Despite its economic growth, India lags behind several South Asian neighbors in tackling hunger and malnutrition. The GHI measures and tracks hunger globally, regionally, and nationally, reflecting various dimensions of hunger. Created in 2006, it was initially published by IFPRI and Welthungerhilfe; now co-published by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide. The GHI aims to raise awareness, compare hunger levels, and highlight areas in need of urgent intervention.

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The Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index 2024 shows that many countries are failing to reduce socio-economic inequalities. The report, published by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI), ranks 164 countries based on Public Services, Progressive Taxation, and Labour Rights. Top performers include Norway, Canada, and Australia, while South Sudan and Nigeria are the worst performers. The rank of India is 127th in the index. Belarus, Costa Rica, and South Africa are leading among low- and middle-income countries. Rising inequality, conflict, and climate shocks hinder spending in poorer countries, worsening food prices and hunger while billionaires’ numbers double.

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India ranks 176th in the 2024 Global Nature Conservation Index with a score of 45.5, placing it among the five worst performers. The Nature Conservation Index (NCI), developed by Ben-Gurion University and BioDB.com, assesses land management, biodiversity threats, governance, and future conservation trends. India’s high pesticide use and soil pollution impact soil health, with a nitrogen sustainability index of 0.77. Marine conservation needs improvement, as only 0.2% of national waterways are protected, and no areas in India’s EEZ. Significant biodiversity risks include habitat loss, climate change, deforestation, and illegal wildlife trade. Strong political action and conservation laws are essential for sustainable development.

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India ranks 79 out of 142 in the 2024 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project. Top-ranked countries are Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The index assesses eight indicators: government constraints, corruption absence, open government, fundamental rights, security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. India performs moderately in government constraints (60) and open government (44), reflecting its focus on governance. Poor scores in fundamental rights (102), security (98), and criminal justice (82) highlight issues with policing, rights protection, and delayed justice systems.