Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 12 out of 30 Chief Ministers (40%) in India have declared criminal cases against themselves. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has declared the highest number with 89 cases. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has declared 47 cases. Andhra Pradesh’s Chandrababu Naidu declared 19 cases, Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah 13, and Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren five. Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis and Himachal Pradesh’s Sukhvinder Singh declared four each, Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan two, and Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann one. 10 Chief Ministers (33%) declared serious criminal cases like attempt to murder, kidnapping, bribery, and criminal intimidation.

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The 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI) was released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), highlighting the world’s most peaceful countries. Iceland ranked first for the 18th consecutive year due to low crime, minimal militarisation, and strong community trust. Ireland secured second place, transforming from past conflicts through neutral military policies and strong social welfare. New Zealand rose to third, aided by strict gun laws, low terrorism, and Mori-rooted community spirit. India ranked 115th, facing challenges like regional disputes, urban crime, and internal tensions. The GPI highlights that India still needs to improve governance, social trust, and conflict resolution to achieve higher peace levels.

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The National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025 was released by the National Commission for Women (NCW). The survey covered 12,770 women across 31 cities in India. The national safety score is 65%, meaning 40% of women feel unsafe despite government assurances. 60% of women reported feeling safe, while younger women under 24 reported harassment at 14%, double the national average. Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai are the safest cities. Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi are the least safe cities. The report frames women’s safety as a developmental issue, encompassing physical, psychological, financial, and digital security.

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Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in India reached a record low of 25 in 2023, down 37.5% from 40 in 2013, as per Sample Registration System (SRS) report by Registrar General of India. IMR measures deaths of children per 1,000 live births under one year; lower numbers indicate better health access. Highest IMR reported in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh at 37; lowest in Manipur at 3; Kerala at 5. Rural IMR dropped from 44 to 28; urban IMR from 27 to 18. Birth rate declined from 36.9 in 1971 to 18.4 in 2023; highest in Bihar at 25.8, lowest in Andaman & Nicobar at 10.1. Death rate decreased from 14.9 in 1971 to 6.4 in 2023; Chandigarh lowest at 4, Chhattisgarh highest at 8.3. Data highlights improvements in public health and narrowing rural-urban gaps.

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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.

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) released the World Trade Report 2025 highlighting the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on global trade. With proper enabling policies, AI could boost cross-border trade of goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040 through productivity gains and lower costs. Global trade is projected to rise by 34–37%, while global GDP may increase by 12–13% by 2040 under different scenarios. In 2023, global trade in AI-enabling goods like semiconductors and raw materials was worth USD 2.3 trillion. If low- and middle-income nations narrow their digital gap by 50%, their incomes could rise by 15% and 14% respectively. Report stresses bridging the digital divide, investing in skills, and ensuring open, predictable trade policies.

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Copenhagen, Denmark, is ranked the world’s happiest city in 2025 by the Institute for Quality of Life’s Happy City Index. Aarhus, Denmark, ranks 4th with high citizen score (233), robust governance (173), and environmental initiatives (170). European cities dominate the top 10: Antwerp (Belgium) 5th, Stockholm (Sweden) 7th, Munich (Germany), and Rotterdam (Netherlands). No city from the United States, United Kingdom, China, or India made it to the top 10.

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Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 4th issue of Children in India 2025 Report at the 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (CoCSSO) in Chandigarh on 25th September 2025. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declined from 44 in 2011 to 25 in 2023, with male IMR at 26 and female at 25. Under-five mortality rate improved to 29 in 2023, lower in urban areas (20) than rural (33). Birth rate in 2023 declined to 18.4 per 1,000 population, with higher rural rate (20.3) than urban (14.9). Gender Parity Index (GPI) in education achieved parity nationally, highest at secondary level with 1.1. Adoptions increased from 3,927 in 2017-18 to 4,515 in 2024-25, with more female children adopted than male.

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Recently, a report by Just Rights for Children (JRFC) showed child marriage in India declined by 69% for girls and 72% for boys. The report ‘Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India’ was released at a UN General Assembly side event in New York. Assam leads with 84% decline in child marriages of girls, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70%), Rajasthan (66%), and Karnataka (55%). Strongest deterrents include arrests and First Information Reports (FIRs). The decline is attributed to coordinated action by Government of India, State governments, and civil society organisations over three years.

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The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 10,786 farmer and agricultural worker suicides in 2023. Suicides from the farm sector made up 6.3% of total suicides (1,71,418) in India. Out of these, 4,690 were farmers/cultivators (4,553 male, 137 female) and 6,096 were agricultural workers (5,433 male, 663 female). Maharashtra (38.5%) recorded the highest share, followed by Karnataka (22.5%), Andhra Pradesh (8.6%), Madhya Pradesh (7.2%), and Tamil Nadu (5.9%). Several states like West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Delhi, and others reported zero farm suicides. Experts say repeated suicides in 2021, 2022, and 2023 reflect a systemic agrarian crisis in India.