Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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The World Bank released the Global Economic Prospects (GEP) report for January 2026, published twice yearly (January and June) to assess global growth. India’s growth forecast for fiscal year 2025-26 was revised up to 7.2% from 6.3% projected in June 2025. Growth drivers in India include strong local demand, rising private consumption, tax reforms, and increasing real household incomes in rural areas. Global trade growth is expected to slow from 3.4% in 2025 to 2.2% in 2026. Government debt in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) has reached a 55-year high of nearly 70% of GDP.

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The Madhya Pradesh Regional AI Impact Conference 2026 held in Bhopal, showcasing practical AI use cases in governance and public service delivery aligned with national AI goals. The conference was part of eight regional events being held nationwide ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 scheduled in New Delhi from 16–20 February 2026. An MoU was signed to expand AI education and skilling, including the establishment of 30 Data and AI Labs in Madhya Pradesh under a national plan for 570 labs in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

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India is ranked 16th out of 154 countries in the Responsible Nations Index (RNI) 2026, a global framework measuring how responsibly nations use power. Singapore tops the index, followed by Switzerland and Denmark. The Responsible Nations Index (RNI), launched by the World Intellectual Foundation, shifts focus from economic or military power to ethical, sustainable, and responsible governance. The index evaluates nations on three pillars: internal responsibility (citizens’ well-being), environmental responsibility, and external responsibility (global conduct).

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NITI Aayog released the report “Roadmap for Green Transition of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)” aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047 and net-zero by 2070. It is a 10-year action plan for 69 million MSMEs to shift towards low-carbon growth. The roadmap focuses on energy efficiency, green electricity, and alternative fuels. It proposes a National Project Management Agency (NPMA) for implementation and finance support. MSMEs contribute about 30% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 45.7% to exports, employing over 250 million people. They emitted around 135 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2022.

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Tripura has achieved top ranks in the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0, highlighting excellence in its Panchayati Raj system. Three Tripura Panchayats among the top four reflect strong grassroots governance and efficiency in the state. The recognition sets a benchmark for rural development, inclusive governance, and public service delivery in Tripura. It reinforces Tripura’s reputation as a model state in decentralized governance and village-level administration.

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Global corruption is rising as per Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) measures perceived public sector corruption in 182 countries. It uses a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Only 5 countries scored above 80, down from 12 a decade ago. The global average score fell to 42, the lowest in over ten years. 122 countries scored below 50, showing serious corruption concerns. Denmark ranked first with 89; South Sudan and Somalia ranked last with 9. India ranked 91st with a score of 39, showing slight improvement.

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India ranked 75th in the latest Henley Passport Index by Henley and Partners, improving 10 places from 85th in 2025. Indian passport allows visa-free travel to 56 countries, one less than last year’s 57. India shares its rank with Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Madagascar, and Mauritania. The index ranks 199 passports and 227 destinations using data from International Air Transport Association. It reflects a country’s foreign policy strength and global standing. Singapore tops the list with visa-free access to 192 countries. Japan and South Korea rank second with 187 access. Maldives ranks 49th among neighbours, while Pakistan and Afghanistan are lowest ranked.

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Sapien Labs, a not-for-profit organization, released the Global Mind Health 2025 report under its Global Mind Project. The report is based on Mind Health Quotient (MHQ), covering mental, emotional, cognitive, social functions, drive, and resilience. In India, young adults (18–34) have an MHQ score of 33 (global average 66), ranking 60th globally in mental health and well-being. Indians aged 55 plus score 96, ranking 49th globally. 44% of 18–34-year-olds consume ultra-processed foods, linked to increased depression and reduced emotional and cognitive control.

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According to the World Obesity Atlas 2026, nearly 15 million children aged 5–9 and over 26 million children aged 10–19 in India were overweight or obese in 2025. The World Obesity Federation warned that the 2025 global target to halve childhood obesity rise will be missed; the deadline is now extended to 2030, but most countries, including India, remain off track. India ranks second to China, with 41 million children with high BMI and 14 million living with obesity. China leads with 62 million high BMI and 33 million obesity, while the USA has 27 million high BMI and 13 million obesity.

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India and China have the highest absolute metabolic disease burdens in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 1990–2023, with forecasts up to 2030. The peer-reviewed study in Metabolism analyzed disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and mortality for Type 2 diabetes mellitus, high systolic blood pressure (BP), high body mass index (BMI), high LDL cholesterol, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). In 2023, India recorded approx 21 million DALYs and 5.8 lakh deaths from Type 2 diabetes, and 3.8 crore DALYs with 15.7 lakh deaths from high systolic BP.