Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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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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India is expected to see the highest increase in energy demand globally over the next decade, as per the World Energy Outlook 2024. The report is published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and provides key energy trends and projections. Low-emission energy sources are projected to generate over half of the world’s electricity by 2030. India is set to add 12,000 cars daily until 2035, with built-up space growing by over 1 billion square meters annually. India’s total energy demand will rise by 35% by 2035, with coal use in industry increasing by 50%. Coal-based electricity generation will grow by 15%.

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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 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.

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International Labour Organization (ILO) released the report titled ‘The impact of care responsibilities of women’s labour participation’. According to the report, 53% of women in India are outside the labor force due to care responsibilities, needing more investment in the care economy. Only 1.1% of men are out of work for similar reasons. The report emphasizes the need for early childhood care and education (ECCE) to boost women’s labor force participation and gender equality. In India, 97.8% of women and 91.4% of men are out of the workforce due to personal or family reasons. Globally, 708 million women and 40 million men are outside the labor force due to caregiving, highlighting a significant gender disparity.

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The Asia–Pacific Climate Report is a new initiative by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help the region address climate change through policy reforms. It highlights India’s transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, showcasing key reforms and subsidy reallocations. India has achieved an 85% reduction in fossil fuel subsidies, dropping from $25 billion in 2013 to $3.5 billion in 2023. A cess on coal production funded clean energy projects like the Green Energy Corridor and National Solar Mission. Tax hikes on petrol and diesel have redirected funds to renewable initiatives, improving LPG access in rural areas. National programs support clean energy investments and progress toward India’s 2070 net-zero target.

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Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released the State of Food and Agriculture 2024 (SOFA) report. FAO’s “State of Food and Agriculture 2024” report focuses on transforming agrifood systems for sustainability. It highlights hidden costs, which are external costs or economic losses from market and policy failures. The report emphasizes unhealthy diets, contributing 70% of global hidden costs, including non-communicable diseases. Industrial agrifood systems contribute the most to hidden costs, around $5.9 trillion. India’s hidden costs are approximately $1.3 trillion annually, ranking third globally, mainly from unhealthy dietary patterns. The SOFA report is an annual overview of FAO’s key topics. It focuses on emerging areas like agrifood systems and digital agriculture technologies.

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The World Energy Employment 2024 report by the International Energy Agency highlights global energy employment surpassing broader labor market trends in 2023. Clean energy remains the main driver of job growth. In India, energy jobs account for over 8.5 million, or 1.5% of the total employment (566 million) in 2023. India’s energy sector relies heavily on informal labor. The clean energy workforce in India is expected to grow further, supported by government initiatives that promote job creation.

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Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Mansukh Mandaviya launched the World Bank report ‘Jobs at Your Doorstep: A Jobs Diagnostics for Young People’, covering six STARS states: Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan. The report analyzes skills gaps, aligns school trades with local industries, and offers a roadmap to improve education and job linkages. It highlights embedding skill-based education from Classes 9-12, aligned with NEP 2020, targeting 50% skill education access by 2025. The initiative supports India’s vision to become a global skills hub and achieve high-income status by 2047 through market-linked, inclusive skill development.

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The World Bank’s report ‘Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action’ highlights how climate change disrupts education and emphasizes its role in climate action. Climate change causes school closures, with affected schools losing an average of 11 instruction days yearly, particularly in low-income countries. Climate awareness is only about 65% in low- and middle-income countries, indicating a significant information gap. Global green transitions need skilled workers for 100 million new jobs, upskilling for existing jobs, and reskilling for 78 million disappearing jobs. In India, climate education boosts pro-climate behaviors among children and their parents by 13%.