Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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The Financial Stability Report 2024 released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) highlights rising household debt, increasing from 36.6% of GDP in 2021 to 42.9% in 2024. Although lower than in other emerging economies, the rising debt-to-GDP ratio signals potential economic risks. A shift from borrowing for assets like homes to borrowing for consumption is seen, especially among lower-income groups. More loans are being taken by prime and super-prime borrowers for asset creation, while sub-prime borrowers use loans for consumption. Lower-income households are increasingly relying on credit cards and personal loans for daily expenses, leading to financial stress.

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The National Housing Bank (NHB) released the “Report on Trends and Progress of Housing in India, 2024” under Section 42 of the NHB Act, 1987. The report covers housing trends, price movements, government schemes, and the role of lending institutions. As of September 2024, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Low-Income Groups (LIG) hold 39% of housing loans, Middle-Income Groups (MIG) have 44%, and High-Income Groups (HIG) hold 17%. The Housing Price Index (NHB-RESIDEX) rose by 6.8% year-on-year. The report highlights regional credit disparities, climate risks, and growth opportunities through technology and digitization.

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India ranked 24th out of 33 countries in the Free Speech Index, according to a survey by The Future of Free Speech, a U.S.-based think tank. The report, “Who in the World Supports Free Speech?”, highlights a global decline in support for controversial speech. India scored 62.6, ranking between South Africa (66.9) and Lebanon (61.8). The findings suggest a gap between public perception and actual free speech conditions in India.

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Finland is the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, as per the World Happiness Report 2025. Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden rank second, third, and fourth, respectively. Rankings are based on people’s self-assessment of their lives, in a study by the Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. India ranks 118th overall but performs well in benevolence measures: 10th in volunteering, 57th in donations, and 74th in helping strangers. Afghanistan is the unhappiest country (147th), while Nepal (92nd) and Pakistan (109th) rank ahead of India.

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The 2025 United Nations World Water Development Report was published by UNESCO. It highlights the crucial role of mountains and alpine glaciers (water towers) in sustaining ecosystems, economies, and societies. Forests cover 40% of mountain areas, with grasslands and alpine tundra at higher elevations. Two-thirds of global irrigated agriculture depends on mountain runoff. Mountain permafrost stores 66 Pg of soil organic carbon, 4.5% of the global pool. Mountains host 25 of 34 biodiversity hotspots, preserving vital plant gene pools. Glacier loss threatens water security, with Hindu Kush Himalayas projected to lose 50% of glaciers by 2100. Watermelon snow (glacier blood) effect accelerates melting due to red algae blooms. Urbanization disrupts the hydrological cycle and amplifies ecological disasters. Atmospheric pollution increases black carbon levels in ice cores and lake sediments.

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India’s bioeconomy is valued at over $165 billion, contributing 4.2% of GDP, as per the India BioEconomy Report 2024. The sector is projected to grow to $300 billion by 2030 and $1 trillion by 2047. Bioeconomy involves using biological resources for industrial production, including biofuels, bioplastics, and pharmaceuticals. The industrial sector contributed $78 billion (47%), while pharma contributed 35%, led by vaccines. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh generated over two-thirds of bioeconomy value. Eastern and Northeastern regions contributed less than 6%. India BioEconomy Report 2024 is released by Department of Biotechnology.

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The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) released a report titled “How Does Climate Change Impact Women and Children Across Agroecological Zones”. The report shows that women and children face a higher risk of death during disasters than men due to existing social roles and responsibilities. It highlights the urgent need for gender-disaggregated data to create better disaster response and climate policies. India has 20 agroecological zones with varied climates, which affect the level of vulnerability differently across regions. States like Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh have five agroecosystems each, while zones like the North Eastern Hills (Region 17) and Western Coastal Plains (Region 19) span multiple states. This overlap calls for coordinated climate adaptation strategies across states for better protection of women and children.

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India had the second highest maternal deaths in 2023, tied with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at 19,000, behind Nigeria with 75,000 deaths. The data comes from the Trends in Maternal Mortality 2000–2023 report by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), which includes World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Bank Group, and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). In 2023, 260,000 maternal deaths occurred worldwide, or 712 each day. India’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) dropped from 362 in 2000 to 80 in 2023—a 78% decline.

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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) to measure the development of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in line with Localized Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) assesses progress across nine themes like poverty-free, healthy, child-friendly, water-sufficient, clean and green, women-friendly, and well-governed Panchayats. Gujarat leads with 346 Front Runner Gram Panchayats, followed by Telangana with 270. Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2022–23 shows 699 GPs as Front Runners, 77,298 as Performers, 1,32,392 as Aspirants, and 5,896 at Beginner level. The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) uses 435 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework (NIF) by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

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NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) released a report titled “Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains”, highlighting India’s automotive strengths and roadmap to global leadership. India is the fourth-largest vehicle producer globally with 6 million vehicles produced annually, but holds only 3% share in global auto components trade worth USD 2 trillion. Challenges include high operational costs, low R&D investment, infrastructure gaps, and limited integration in Global Value Chains (GVCs). The report suggests fiscal support like Operational Expenditure (Opex) aid, Capital Expenditure (Capex) focus, skill development, and cluster-based R&D hubs.