Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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India’s passport ranking has dropped to 85th in the Henley Passport Index 2025, down from 80th in 2024. The index evaluates passports based on visa-free access to global destinations. India now allows visa-free travel to 57 countries. The top-ranking passport belongs to Singapore, which offers access to 195 destinations. Over the past two decades, India’s ranking has fluctuated significantly, peaking at 71st in 2006. The index relies on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to assess travel access.

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India has been ranked as the 4th most powerful military in the world according to the Global Firepower Index 2025. The top 3 countries are United States of America, Russia and China. Bhutan ranked lowest at 145th, while Pakistan dropped from 9th to 12th position. The top four countries’ rankings remain unchanged from 2024. The Global Firepower Index compares 145 countries military power based on their war-making capabilities and excludes a country’s nuclear weapon capability.

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The Ministry of Electronics and IT released a report titled “Estimation and Measurement of India’s Digital Economy.” India’s digital economy was 11.74% of national income in 2022-23, expected to rise to 13.42% by 2024-25. It may grow twice as fast as the overall economy, contributing nearly 20% of national income by 2029-30. The digital economy employed 14.67 million workers (2.55% of the workforce) in 2022-23. India is the second-largest market for 5G and mobile subscriptions globally. India led global contributions to AI projects (23%) on GitHub and had 1644 billion digital payments in FY 2023-24.

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The World Economic Forum (WEF) released the “Navigating Global Financial System Fragmentation” report, urging policymakers to promote an integrated financial system. Fragmentation of Global Financial Systems (GFS) refers to differences in asset prices or capital movement across borders, leading to increased tariffs, sanctions, and export controls. The World Economic Forum’s report highlights that geopolitical actions, such as sanctions and industrial policies, are driving this fragmentation. The impact could reduce trade, cross-border capital flows, and economic efficiencies, and increase global inflation by over 5% in extreme cases.

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released findings from the second Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES). The survey collects data on household spending on goods and services. It helps assess economic well-being, update the Consumer Price Index, and measure poverty and inequality. The Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) is the main indicator for analysis. Urban-rural consumption differences declined in 2023-24 across major states. MPCE increased for all household types in both rural and urban areas. Kerala has the lowest urban-rural MPCE gap, followed by Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar. Consumption inequality declined across almost all major states. The Gini coefficient fell to 0.237 (rural) and 0.284 (urban) in 2023-24.

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RBI released the Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) to measure the growth of digital transactions in India. Digital payments grew by 11.1% YoY as of September 2024. The RBI-DPI for September 2024 stood at 465.33, up from 445.50 in March 2024. The index tracks five key factors: Payment Enablers, Infrastructure (Demand & Supply), Payment Performance, and Consumer Centricity. UPI’s share in digital payments surged from 34% in 2019 to 83% in 2024, with a CAGR of 74%. UPI transactions grew from ₹5.86 lakh crore (2018) to ₹246.83 lakh crore (2024).

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The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) released the report titled “Leveraging Space Technology for Agricultural Development and Food Security.” It highlights how space technologies can improve agriculture and food security amid global challenges. The report aligns with discussions in the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). It promotes agriculture-space partnerships for sustainable development under the 2030 Agenda. The publication serves as a key resource for stakeholders aiming to use space technology for food security.

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India ranked sixth in the Climate Risk Index 2025 by Germanwatch, highlighting its climate vulnerability. It was among the 10 most affected countries by extreme weather events from 1993 to 2022. India accounted for 10% of global fatalities and 4.3% of economic losses due to such events. The country faced floods, heatwaves, and cyclones, with major floods in 1993, 1998, and 2013. Severe heatwaves occurred in 2002, 2003, and 2015. More than 400 extreme events caused $180 billion in losses and at least 80,000 deaths in India.

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The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) released the Global Infrastructure Resilience Report, assessing disaster preparedness. The Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI) provides financial risk data for key sectors like transport, energy, telecom, water, and health. A $9.2 trillion annual investment is needed by 2050 to address infrastructure gaps and climate resilience. Infrastructure is vulnerable to disasters like earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and droughts. Many Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) face weak infrastructure governance. The report emphasizes data-driven risk assessment, economic benefits of resilience, nature-based solutions, informed policymaking, and global collaboration.

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The “World Social Protection Report 2024-26” has been published by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO’s World Social Protection Report 2024-26 states that India’s social protection coverage (excluding health) increased from 24% in 2021 to 49% in 2024. Social protection supports people facing risks like unemployment, disability, and poverty. It ensures security for children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It helps in tackling poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. It aids climate adaptation and promotes sustainable economic practices. It also facilitates the transition to greener jobs.