Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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Kolkata has again emerged as India’s safest city with the lowest number of cognisable offences per lakh population in 2023. Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people, lowest among 19 cities with over 20 lakh population, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report 2023. Kochi was the worst performer with 3,192.4 offences per lakh, followed by Delhi (2,105.3) and Surat (1,377.1). Hyderabad (332.3), Pune (337.1), and Mumbai (355.4) were the next safest cities.

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International Labour Organization (ILO) released “The State of Social Justice: A Work in Progress” ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development, Doha 2025, marking 30 years of the 1995 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development. The report highlights that despite improvements in education, poverty reduction, and productivity over the last 30 years, inequalities, low trust in institutions, and slow sectoral progress hinder global social justice. Social justice means every individual, regardless of race, belief, or gender, has the right to material prosperity and spiritual growth in freedom, respect, and equal opportunity. Between 1995-2024, child labour fell from 250 million to 106 million, work-related mortality declined by over 10%, secondary school completion rose by 22 percentage points.

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The Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity and Land Restoration was launched at the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. The report was prepared by the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) and the CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals). It urges countries to integrate ecological connectivity in land, water, and infrastructure planning. Ecological connectivity means the unimpeded movement of species, connection of habitats, and flow of natural processes sustaining life. These processes include the flow of organisms, energy, nutrients, water, sediments, information, knowledge, and culture.

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India’s passport ranks 85th in the 2025 Henley Passport Index, down five places from 2024. Indian citizens can travel visa-free to 57 countries, down from 59 last year. The Henley Passport Index ranks all 199 passports based on visa-free mobility. Singapore tops the index with access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea and Japan, showing Asia’s growing dominance. European countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland feature prominently in the top 10. Indians can travel visa-free to 12 countries, including Bhutan, Indonesia, Mauritius, Nepal, and Trinidad and Tobago.

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Recently, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India’s only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), climbed three ranks to 43rd in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 38). In the FinTech Index, it rose five places to 35th, showing strong growth in innovation and regulation. The GFCI 38, released by the Z/Yen Group, assessed 135 financial centres using 140 global indicators from the World Bank, OECD, and the United Nations. GIFT City remains among the top 15 centres in the Asia-Pacific and is the only Indian city in the list. It is also featured among the “15 centres likely to become more significant” globally, reflecting India’s rising influence in international finance.

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The global economy is shifting from resilience (2022–2024) to economic unilateralism in 2025, driven by rising tariffs between long-standing trade partners. In the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index (STI) 2025, the United Kingdom ranks No. 1, ending New Zealand’s three-year lead. Australia and Singapore retained No. 3 and No. 4, while South Korea and Hong Kong (SAR) climbed, and Japan slipped two places. The United States is No. 9, showing reduced reliance on natural resource exports and lower per capita carbon emissions. India ranks 23rd overall with a score of 33.2/100. India shows moderate economic strength, modest social progress, and ongoing environmental challenges in sustainability.

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The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) released the report “Status of Elephants in India”, estimating 22,446 elephants across four major landscapes. Though lower than the 2017 count of 29,964, the new figure is based on a DNA-based estimation method used for the first time. The method aims to set a scientific baseline for future monitoring, not to compare with past counts. India’s elephant census evolved from visual counts (1929–1978) to dung and transect sampling under Project Elephant (1992). Despite synchronized censuses in 2005, 2010, and 2017, issues like observer bias and overcounting remained. To overcome this, India adopted Synchronous All-India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25 using DNA-based techniques. The new method ensures greater accuracy, consistency, and scientific credibility in tracking India’s elephant population.

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India moved up to 9th position in the world for total forest area and retained 3rd spot for annual forest gains, according to the United Nations’ Global Forest Resource Assessment (GFRA) 2025. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav credited government conservation policies and state-led plantation efforts for this achievement. GFRA, released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), analysed 35 years of data (1990-2025) from 236 countries. India has 72.74 million hectares of forests, about 2% of global forest cover. Russia leads with 832.63 million hectares, followed by Brazil, Canada, and the US. India added approximately 191,000 hectares per year between 2015-2025, behind China (1.69 million) and Russia (942,000).

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The Global Firepower (GFP) Index 2025 ranks the world’s strongest militaries using over 60 factors like manpower, defense budgets, logistics, and technology. The United States ranks 1st, with over $860 billion defense budget, advanced technology, and global reach across land, sea, air, and cyber domains. Russia holds the 2nd position, backed by its massive tank, artillery, and nuclear arsenal, along with modernization of S-500 air defense and hypersonic missile programs. China ties with Russia, driven by rapid military modernization, focus on cyber warfare, and expansion of its blue-water navy. India ranks 4th, emphasizing Atmanirbhar Bharat and indigenous defense projects like Tejas Mk1A, Arihant-class submarines, and BrahMos upgrades.

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The International Migration Outlook 2025 report was recently released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2023, about 2,25,000 Indian citizens acquired the nationality of OECD countries. India and China together accounted for one-third of all international students studying in OECD member countries. The report highlights India’s growing global mobility in terms of both citizenship acquisition and educational migration.