Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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The World Bank released the Women, Business and the Law 2026 report highlighting a major gap between laws for women’s equality and their real implementation. The Women, Business and the Law 2026 report is the 11th annual study covering 190 economies and uses the Women, Business and the Law 2.0 framework. It evaluates three pillars: Legal Frameworks, Supportive Frameworks, and Enforcement Perceptions. The global average score is 67.9 for legal frameworks, but only 47.3 for supportive systems and 53.4 for enforcement. Safety is the weakest area, with enforcement failing nearly 80 percent of the time and only one-third required safety laws in place.

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SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) reported on March 9, 2026, that global arms transfers increased to the highest level since 2011–2015. Ukraine was the largest arms importer, receiving 9.7% of global transfers, followed by India at 8.2%, highlighting India’s continued dependence on foreign arms. Saudi Arabia (6.8%), Qatar (6.4%), and Pakistan (4.2%) completed the top five importers list. India’s arms imports decreased by 4% compared to 2016–2020, with delays in domestic production persisting, though India is increasingly producing its own equipment. India shifted towards Western suppliers: Russia’s share dropped to 40%, France supplied 29%, and Israel 15%; India was France’s largest global client.

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The U.N.-backed World Happiness Report 2026 was released on 18 March 2026, highlighting global well-being trends and ranking Finland as the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year. The report emphasizes that heavy social media use is harming young people’s well-being, prompting some countries to consider or implement legislative restrictions on social media for youth. Top 10 happiest countries are Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, Switzerland. Costa Rica achieved fourth place, marking the highest-ever ranking for a Latin American country. Among 147 countries, India ranks 116th, showing a slight improvement from 118th in 2025.

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The Consumer Justice Report 2026 has been released by the India Justice Report to assess the capacity and performance of consumer dispute redressal commissions in India. The report highlights a significant rise in pendency of cases, with total pending cases increasing by 21% between 2020 and 2024, despite improvements in disposal rates. Although 88.5% of the 7.64 lakh cases were disposed of in the post-pandemic period, the backlog continues to grow, indicating systemic inefficiencies. The report notes a decline in women’s representation in consumer commissions, with the share of women among presidents and members in 14 State Commissions falling from 35% in 2021 to 29% in 2025.

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released a report titled “Planet in Focus: Advancing Environmental Sustainability under the SDGs”. The report focuses on SDGs related to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), responsible consumption (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), and life on land (SDG 15). It highlights India’s progress in climate mitigation and adaptation, sustainable water management, biodiversity conservation, and responsible consumption practices. India achieved universal Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across all districts through the Swachh Bharat Mission.

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The ‘State of the Global Climate 2025’ report was released by World Meteorological Organization on World Meteorological Day (23 March). It introduced Earth’s Energy Imbalance (EEI) as a key climate indicator. EEI is the difference between incoming solar energy and outgoing heat from Earth. Positive EEI means Earth is gaining heat (warming), while negative EEI means cooling. 2025 was among the 2nd or 3rd warmest years, about 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels. 2015–2025 are the hottest 11 years recorded. CO2 levels (2024) were highest in last 2 million years. Ocean heat content reached a new record high in 2025.

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Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI – Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) released PLFS 2025 report. PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) was started in 2017 by National Statistical Office (NSO – National Statistical Office) to track jobs and unemployment. It provides data as Usual Status (365 days) and Current Weekly Status (7 days). LFPR (Labour Force Participation Rate) remained stable at 59.3% (Male 79.1%, Female 40%). WPR (Worker Population Ratio) was 57.4%, with rural female participation steady. UR (Unemployment Rate) declined to 3.1%, youth unemployment fell to 9.9%.

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NITI Aayog released two reports— “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India” and “Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India” on 9 April 2026 in New Delhi. The reports are based on consultations with 400+ institutions and inputs from 850+ scientists and researchers across India. The objective is to improve India’s Research and Development (R&D) ecosystem by making it more efficient, innovation-driven, and facilitative. The reports emphasize private sector participation, flexible systems, and a trust-based environment to boost India’s global leadership in science and innovation.

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The International Labour Organization report “Universal social protection in changing labour markets: Protecting workers in all types of employment” stresses strengthening social protection for all workers. Social protection (social security: policies reducing poverty and vulnerability across life stages) includes nine areas like maternity, unemployment, health, old-age, disability, and survivors’ benefits. It must shift from poverty reduction to poverty prevention, ensuring support before vulnerability arises. Universal coverage is needed for all workers, including informal, temporary, part-time, and self-employed categories.

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The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026 report recently released by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The report warns of rising inflation and slowing growth due to the West Asia conflict. Inflation in developing Asia-Pacific economies is projected to rise to 4.6% in 2026 (from 3.5% in 2025), while growth may slow to 4% (from 4.6%). The conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has driven sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertiliser prices, raising inflation and weakening purchasing power. For India, high dependence on West Asian oil imports may increase the import bill, fuel inflation, and weaken the rupee, though growth is projected at 6.4% in 2026.