Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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A record 54 Indian Institutes have been listed in the QS World University Rankings 2026, showing strong global progress in higher education. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has emerged as the top-ranked Indian institute, jumping from 150th to 123rd position globally. This is the highest QS World University Ranking ever achieved by IIT Delhi. The QS rankings are based on data from over 16 million academic papers and feedback from 151,000 academics and 100,000 employers. They assess faculty quality, research strength, global partnerships, and student success.

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Recently, the 2025 Fossil Fuel Finance Report by the Banking on Climate Chaos Coalition showed that 65 of the world’s largest banks gave $869 billion to fossil fuel companies in 2024, up from $707 billion in 2023. This 22.8% rise in financing has raised global concerns, especially with policy rollbacks and rising temperatures. India’s State Bank of India (SBI) also featured in the report, with fossil fuel financing rising to $2.62 billion in 2024, an increase of $65 million from 2023. SBI has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2055 and aims for 7.5% of domestic gross advances to be green loans by 2030.

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A recent Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report ranked India among countries with best-practice-level graphic health warnings in 2024, as part of efforts to reduce tobacco use. Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report was released by World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report focuses on the MPOWER measures under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to reduce tobacco-related deaths. India’s cigarette packs have one of the world’s largest pictorial warnings at 85%, placing it in the highest category for ‘W’ (Warn) since 2016. India also leads in ‘O’ (Offer help to quit) and ranks second-highest in ‘M’ (Mass media) efforts.

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The Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) shows a 0.36 per cent drop in global peacefulness due to rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. This marks the worst global peace level deterioration since World War II. India ranks 115th with a GPI score of 2.229, improving by 0.58 per cent from last year. India’s ranking has improved steadily from 141 in 2019 to 115 in 2025. India showed improvement in nine peace indicators, while nine remained the same and three worsened. Iceland remains the most peaceful country since 2008.

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) National Indicator Framework Progress Report 2025 on the 19th Statistics Day. The report shows India’s progress on 284 indicators across 17 SDG goals. Maternal and child health, education, poverty reduction, and climate change efforts have improved since 2015–16. Social protection coverage rose to 64.3% in 2025 from 22% in 2016. Senior citizen assistance rose to 1,57,000 in 2023–24 from 23,000 in 2015. Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture per worker rose to ₹94,110 in 2024–25 from ₹61,247 in 2015–16.

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Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released the A World of Debt Report 2025, highlighting a global debt surge worsened by recent crises. Global Public Debt reached a record $102 trillion in 2024. It may rise to 100% of Gross Domestic Product by 2030 if current trends continue. Developing countries hold less than one-third ($31 trillion) of this debt, but their debt has grown twice as fast since 2010. In developing regions, Asia and Oceania account for 24%, Latin America and the Caribbean 5%, and Africa 2% of global public debt. Developing countries face borrowing costs two to four times higher than the United States.

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Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its Frontier Report 2025 titled “The Weight of Time” on July 10, 2025. The report highlights the rising vulnerability of older adults to extreme weather, especially in urban areas and low- to middle-income countries. In India, people aged 65 and above experienced 2.1 to 4 more heatwave days per year between 1986–2005 and 2013–2022. The report warns that heat-related deaths in the elderly may rise by 370% by mid-century. The report calls for urban greenery, weather monitoring, disaster risk management, and community support systems.

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Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai improved their ranks in the QS Best Student Cities 2026 released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Seoul, Tokyo and London are the top three globally. Delhi ranked 104th, climbing 7 spots, and emerged as the world’s most affordable student city. India saw 390% rise in universities featured in QS rankings in 10 years.

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The United Nations has released the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Report 2025. Five key goals — SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG6 (Clean Water), SDG8 (Decent Work), and SDG10 (Reduced Inequalities) — are worst hit, with 50–57% of targets off-track. Global hunger affects 713–757 million people, worsened by conflict, climate change, and economic shocks. Food insecurity affected 2.33 billion people in 2023 — 383 million more than in 2019. SDG8 sees half of its indicators declining, with 57.8% of global workforce in informal jobs and youth unemployment at 12.9%. SDG14 (Life Below Water) is least funded and shows 40% decline in key targets. SDG3 (Good Health) shows stagnation in maternal health and universal coverage, with post-COVID strain persisting.

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Recently, the Numbeo Safety Index 2025 ranked India at 67th with a safety score of 55.8. The Numbeo Safety Index is a real-time, user-based global ranking that reflects how safe people feel in their own countries. It considers factors like crime fear, crime incidents, and overall public safety perceptions. In 2025, the index covered 146 countries worldwide. Top countries in safety include Andorra (84.7), United Arab Emirates–UAE (84.5), Qatar (84.2), Taiwan (82.9), and Oman (81.7). These countries maintain high safety through strong law enforcement, political stability, and safety policies.