Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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India is ranked 63rd on the global Energy Transition Index 2024 by the World Economic Forum. The index monitors the global shift towards sustainable, secure, and accessible energy systems. Sweden tops the rankings, followed by Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, and France. Despite notable progress by emerging economies like Brazil and China, 83% of countries regressed in security, equity, or sustainability. The gap between advanced and developing economies is narrowing, despite disparities.

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) published a report titled “Aid for Trade in Action: Supporting the transition to clean energy,” emphasizing its Aid-for-Trade Initiative. Originating from the 2005 WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, the initiative aims to aid developing economies in joining global trade by addressing supply-side capacity and infrastructure constraints. It mobilizes financial resources to tackle trade-related challenges identified by developing and least developed countries.

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UNESCO introduced the New World Soil Health Index at an international conference in Morocco to standardize soil quality assessment globally. It aims to monitor soil degradation trends and improvements across different ecosystems. UNESCO will pilot sustainable soil management in ten Biosphere Reserves to develop best practices. Globally, soil degradation affects 75% of land, impacting 3.2 billion people, and is projected to reach 90% by 2050. In India, 32% of land is degraded, with 25% undergoing desertification due to various factors including deforestation and industrial pollution.

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The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) recently released the World Population Prospects Report, projecting the global population to peak at 10.3 billion by the mid-2080s, up from 8.2 billion in 2024. Key findings include a current fertility rate of 2.25 births per woman and a life expectancy of 73.3 years. India’s population is expected to peak in the early 2060s, remaining the largest globally throughout the century.

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NITI Aayog has released the 4th edition of the SDG India Index 2023-24, assessing progress across 113 indicators for all States and Union Territories (UTs). India’s composite score improved from 66 in 2020-21 to 71 in 2023-24, with significant advancements in Goals 1, 8, and 13. Thirty-two States and UTs are classified as front-runners, while Uttarakhand and Kerala topped the list with scores of 79. Chandigarh is the leading Union Territory.

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The FAO’s “State of the World’s Forests 2024” report, themed “Accelerating forest solutions through innovation,” highlights a decline in deforestation rates to 10.2 million ha per year in 2015–2020 from 15.8 million ha in 1990–2000. India ranks 3rd for average annual net forest area gain (2010-2020). Non-Timber Forest Products support 275 million Indian livelihoods. Innovation is crucial for climate resilience, bioeconomy shifts, and leveraging non-wood forest products’ nutritional benefits.

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The Henley Passport Index 2024 ranks the Indian passport 82nd, providing visa-free access to 58 countries, including Indonesia, Maldives, and Thailand. Singapore tops the index with visa-free entry to 195 countries, while France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan are second with 192 destinations. Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden share third place (191 countries), and the UK, New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland are fourth (190 countries).

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Ministry of Health & Family Welfare released a report titled “Economic Case for Investment in the Well-being of Adolescents in India,” highlighting key areas for investment in adolescent health. India has the largest adolescent population (253 million) globally. Between 2000 and 2019, the adolescent mortality rate dropped by over 50%, and fertility rates fell by 83%. Secondary school completion rates more than doubled from 22% in 2005 to over 50% in 2020. However, fatal road accidents among adolescents under 18 increased by 22.7% from 2021 to 2022. Recommended interventions are projected to boost India’s economy by 10.1% of annual GDP.

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Wayanad, Kerala, struck by a deadly landslide killing nearly 200 people, ranked 13th in ISRO’s 2023 Landslide Atlas of India. Prepared by National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO, the atlas details landslide occurrences and damage in 147 districts across 17 states and two Union Territories. It includes 80,000 landslides mapped from 1998 to 2022, categorized by season, event, and route. The data, using high-resolution satellite imagery, ranked districts based on socio-economic exposure to landslides.

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India ranks 39th in the 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index by the World Economic Forum, up from an adjusted 38th in 2021. The country’s scores improved in travel prioritization, safety, and health. In 2022, India had 14.3 million international tourists, 1.47% of the global market, and 15.66% in Asia-Pacific. The Ministry of Tourism promotes India domestically and internationally through integrated marketing and participation in travel fairs.