Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index 2023–24 was released by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 85% districts in NER showed an increase in composite scores compared to the previous edition. All districts in Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura achieved Front Runner status (scores between 65 and 99). Hnahthial district in Mizoram topped the region with a score of 81.43, while Longding in Arunachal Pradesh scored the lowest at 58.71.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
India has recently jumped eight places to rank 77th on the Henley Passport Index 2025, up from 85th in 2024. The number of visa-free countries for Indian passport holders has slightly increased to 59 from 57. The Philippines and Sri Lanka are the two new visa-free additions for Indian citizens. The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa. The data is compiled using statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Singapore holds the top spot globally with visa-free access to 193 out of 227 locations.

Notes:
Bengaluru topped in India in the 2025 Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) City Index, ranked 26th globally. It is the top AI hub in India, known for AI Research and Development (R&D) and data centers. Bengaluru attracts major foreign investment due to its strong startup ecosystem. Other top Indian cities include Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata. Indian cities need a clear AI roadmap and strong regulations to grow further. Globally, Singapore ranked 1st, followed by Seoul, Beijing, Dubai, and San Francisco. The 2025 Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) City Index is released by Counterpoint Research, a global technology market research firm.

Notes:
India’s Crude Birth Rate (CBR) declined from 19.1 in 2022 to 18.4 in 2023, a fall of 0.7 points. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell for the first time in two years to 1.9 in 2023 from 2.0 in 2021–22. Bihar reported the highest CBR at 25.8, while Tamil Nadu had the lowest at 12. Bihar also had the highest TFR at 2.8, while Delhi reported the lowest at 1.2. 18 States and Union Territories (UTs) recorded TFR below the replacement level of 2.1. Northern States with above-replacement TFR include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. Data comes from the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2023 released by the Registrar General of India.

Notes:
Swachh Vayu Survekshan (SVS) 2025 is an annual survey by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). It evaluates 130 cities on eight parameters like road dust, solid waste, vehicular and industrial emissions, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, public awareness, and particulate matter reduction. Indore topped million-plus-population cities, followed by Jabalpur and Agra/Surat. Navi Mumbai ranked 4th, Kanpur 5th, Bhopal 6th, Delhi 32nd, Bengaluru 36th, Kolkata 38th, and Chennai 41st. In 3–10 lakh category, Amravati ranked first; in under 3 lakh category, Dewas ranked first. PM10 levels reduced in 103 cities, with Mumbai showing the highest decline (44%), followed by Kolkata (37%), Hyderabad and Bengaluru (26%), Delhi (15%), and Chennai (12%).

Notes:
UNICEF released the Child Nutrition Report 2025 on 10th September 2025 highlighting rising unhealthy diets and childhood obesity. 5% of children under-5 and 20% of children and adolescents aged 5–19 are overweight, doubling since 2000. In 2025, obesity prevalence was 9.4% and underweight prevalence was 9.2% among school-age children and adolescents. In South Asia, overweight prevalence among 5–19-year-olds increased almost fivefold since 2000. Key drivers include availability and affordability of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), aggressive digital marketing, and policy gaps. Only 7% of countries have mandatory front-of-pack labeling, and 8% provide subsidies for healthy foods. Recommendations include protecting breastfeeding, transforming food environments with restrictions and taxes, promoting nutritious foods, and strengthening social protection and behavior-change initiatives.