Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2025, India’s total tuberculosis (TB) cases have reduced by 21% in the last decade — nearly double the global average of 12%. TB cases in India dropped from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh in 2024. Mortality due to TB also declined from 28 per lakh in 2015 to 21 per lakh in 2024. The Health Ministry credited the progress to an improved case-finding approach that enhanced diagnosis and treatment coverage. There has been no significant rise in multidrug-resistant TB cases.

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Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) retained its position as India’s most sustainable university in the QS University Sustainability Rankings 2026, securing rank 205 with a score of 83.1. It was followed by IIT Bombay (235) and IIT Kharagpur (236). IIT Delhi also entered the top 100 globally for employability, ranking 93rd, while IIT Kharagpur ranked 96th. India now has 103 universities in the rankings, with 32 improving their positions. Six IITs showed major progress since the ranking began.

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The Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 was released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. The report analysed around 15,000 groundwater samples collected across India in 2024. 13–15% of total samples showed uranium contamination, exceeding Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water limits. In Delhi, 24 out of 83 samples exceeded uranium parameters; contamination was above 30 parts per billion (PPB) in pre- and post-monsoon samples. Northwestern India—Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, parts of Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh—emerged as uranium contamination hotspots due to geogenic factors, groundwater depletion, and aquifer characteristics.

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FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) publishes The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) 2025 every two years. SOLAW 2025 highlights the untapped potential of land, soil, and water to improve sustainable agricultural production, food security, ecosystem services, and resilience. By 2050, agriculture must produce 50% more food, feed, and fibre compared to 2012 and use 25% more freshwater, while expanding farmland is no longer feasible. More than 60% of human-induced land degradation occurs on agricultural lands. Agriculture accounts for more than 70% of global freshwater withdrawal. Intensive farming and excessive chemical use cause pollution and depletion of soil, land, and water resources.

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NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released a Roadmap on Transforming India into a Quantum-Powered Economy to guide India’s leadership in quantum technologies. Quantum technologies are set to transform healthcare, finance, logistics, materials, energy, and national security. The roadmap leverages the National Quantum Mission and outlines R&D acceleration, commercialization, talent development, and ecosystem building. It emphasizes collective action across policymakers, scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and states for a globally trusted, competitive quantum economy. Global partnerships, infrastructure expansion, and exportable solutions are key to India becoming a quantum technology leader by 2047.

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UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025 was jointly released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank Group. The report analyses global progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), tracking access to essential health services and financial protection. It highlights improvements in health service coverage and reductions in financial hardship due to out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenses since 2000. The report identifies persistent inequalities, with the poorest and most vulnerable populations facing the greatest barriers to UHC. It provides recommendations for governments, including expanding public health investments, reducing OOP costs, strengthening primary care, and promoting equitable access to essential services.

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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released the report Right to Education: Past, Present and Future reviewing progress since the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education. The report highlights major gains, including free basic education in 82% of countries and primary school completion rising to 88%. Higher education enrolment grew from 100 million in 2000 to 264 million today. Despite progress, 272 million children still drop out early and 762 million adults remain illiterate, mostly women. UNESCO warns that climate shocks, conflicts and artificial intelligence demand urgent updates to global education laws. It stresses lifelong learning as essential for workers and older adults.

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The Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2025 report was released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is a regular publication analysing regional economic growth and development in Asia, with focus on Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. This edition includes a thematic chapter on enhancing Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) in Emerging Asia. The report finds that India, China, and ASEAN-11 face rising frequency and intensity of natural disasters, averaging 100 disasters annually, affecting about 80 million people.

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The International Labour Organization (ILO) released its Employment and Social Trends 2026 report in Geneva on 14 January 2026. The report warns that global unemployment will remain at 4.9% in 2026, affecting 186 million people. Employment quality progress has stalled; extreme working poverty declined only 3.1% between 2015–2025. Informal employment is rising, with 2.1 billion workers globally projected to be informally employed by 2026. India accounts for 3% of global manufacturing. India, along with Japan and Korea, is expanding jobs in the renewable energy sector. There is a gap between demand and supply of green-skilled workers in India.

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India ranked sixth among 11 Asian countries in the Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) 2026, showing the need to strengthen manufacturing competitiveness. The Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) measures competitiveness across eight key pillars and 43 sub-parameters. The index is in its third year and is released by Dezan Shira and Associates. Malaysia rose to second place in 2026, replacing Vietnam. Vietnam slipped to third position. These changes indicate intensifying competition within Asia’s manufacturing sector.