Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
India ranked 36th out of 170 countries in the 2025 Technology and Innovation Report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), improving from 48th in 2022. The Readiness for Frontier Technologies Index includes Information and Communication Technology (ICT), skills, Research and Development (R&D), industrial capacity, and finance access. The report shows countries like India, Brazil, China, and the Philippines are doing well despite lower incomes, and must adapt fast to tech changes.

Notes:
India ranked 10th globally in private investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2023, as per the 2025 Technology and Innovation Report. The report was released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). It focuses on key science, technology, and innovation issues relevant to developing countries, offering practical policy insights. The 2025 report is titled “Inclusive Artificial Intelligence for Development.” It aims to help governments understand the AI landscape and create inclusive policies for fair and balanced tech progress across society.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
India launched its first Digital Threat Report 2024 to boost cybersecurity in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative. The report was released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and developed by Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In), Cyber Security Incident Response Team – Financial Sector (CSIRT-Fin), and global cybersecurity firm SISA. It identifies key sector-wide security gaps, emerging cyber risks, and adversarial tactics threatening India’s financial systems.

Notes:
The Amnesty International recently released the “Death Sentences and Executions 2024” Report. Amnesty International’s “Death Sentences and Executions 2024” report showed 1,518 recorded executions globally, the highest in nearly 10 years. This marked a 32% rise from 2023, and the highest total since 2015. Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia were responsible for 91% of known executions. Iran executed at least 972 people, Saudi Arabia at least 345, and Iraq saw a jump from 16 to at least 63. China, North Korea, and Vietnam were not included due to lack of official data. The death penalty was reportedly used to silence protesters, minorities, and even individuals with mental disabilities.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Report, released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), reveals that Indigenous people receive less than 1% of international climate funding and are often excluded from climate solutions. Indigenous economies, which depend on agriculture, fishing, and forestry, face growing uncertainty, undermining economic self-sufficiency and sustainability. Disruption of ancestral lands and ecosystems affects traditional land-based practices, threatening environmental stewardship and sovereignty. Indigenous people are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related health issues due to limited access to healthcare and traditional food sources. Climate change also threatens the preservation of Indigenous languages, traditions, and cultural identities.

Notes:
According to the 2024 edition of the “Trends in World Military Expenditure” report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s military spending was nearly nine times higher than Pakistan’s. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is a Swedish think tank that publishes this annual report analysing global military expenditure. In 2024, global defence spending reached $2.46 trillion, up from $2.24 trillion in 2023. This accounted for 1.9 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 1.6 percent in 2022 and 1.8 percent in 2023. Just five countries – the USA, China, Russia, Germany, and India – accounted for 60 percent of global military expenditure. India was the fifth highest military spender in 2024, spending $86.1 billion, a 1.6 percent rise from 2023 and a 42 percent increase since 2015.

Notes:
India has once again been placed on the ‘priority watch’ list in the Special 301 Report by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). It is an annual review published under the Trade Act of 1974. It identifies countries that do not provide adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) or fair access to US rights holders. The report has been released every year since 1989. It classifies countries as “priority foreign country”, “priority watch list”, or “watch list”. Countries on the priority watch list, like India, have serious IPR issues needing greater US attention.

Notes:
NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), released a report titled ‘Enhancing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Competitiveness in India’. The report highlights reforms needed in credit access, skill development, innovation, and market linkages to boost MSMEs. Using firm-level data and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), it suggests ways to integrate MSMEs into global value chains. Focus sectors include textiles, chemicals, automotive, and food processing. Credit access improved between 2020 and 2024, yet only 19% demand was met formally by 2021, with ₹80 lakh crore unmet. The Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) expanded but still needs redesign for wider impact.