Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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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.

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Centre for Science and Environment released State of India’s Environment 2026 report, published yearly since 1982, reviewing floods, extreme weather, wildlife behaviour and air pollution in India. Report warns global temperature may cross 1.5°C, showing the world is nearing a climate tipping point. In 2025, extreme weather occurred on 99% of days, causing 4,419 deaths and damaging 17.41 million hectares crops. States like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh experienced the highest number of extreme weather days. The report stresses the need to shift from disaster relief to climate-resilient planning and infrastructure.

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National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) released the first Annual Report on the National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) 2025–26 to quantitatively assess plantations along National Highways. The report was prepared with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using space-based high-resolution satellite sensors to measure chlorophyll content and vegetation presence. NH-GCI represents the percentage of land covered by green cover within the Right of Way (RoW) along highways at a 1 km granularity.

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A report “Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines” was released by United Nations Environment Programme. The report stresses waste prevention as the key strategy to manage unused medicines. Improper disposal causes environmental pollution and public health risks, including Antimicrobial Resistance, endocrine disruption, toxicity, and poisoning. The report promotes a One Health approach, integrating human health, animal health, and environmental protection. It suggests a four-pillar framework: prevention at source, medicine take-back schemes, strong legal and policy systems, and awareness programmes.

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The U.N.-backed World Happiness Report 2026 was released on 18 March 2026, highlighting global well-being trends and ranking Finland as the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year. The report emphasizes that heavy social media use is harming young people’s well-being, prompting some countries to consider or implement legislative restrictions on social media for youth. Top 10 happiest countries are Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, Switzerland. Costa Rica achieved fourth place, marking the highest-ever ranking for a Latin American country. Among 147 countries, India ranks 116th, showing a slight improvement from 118th in 2025.

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New Delhi has remained the world’s most polluted capital city for the eighth consecutive year, as per the World Air Quality Report 2025 released by IQAir. The city recorded an annual PM2.5 concentration of 82.2 µg/m³, which is about 16.4 times higher than the WHO safe limit of 5 µg/m³. India’s national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 stands at 40 µg/m³, meaning Delhi’s pollution level is more than double the national limit. The report distinguishes between New Delhi (city) and the Delhi (entire NCT).

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A report by UNESCO titled “2026 GEM Report (Global Education Monitoring Report)” highlights global education gaps. Around 273 million children and youth were out of school in 2024, with more in conflict regions. About 1 in 6 school-age children is excluded, and only 2/3 complete secondary education. Conflicts, especially in West Asia, have worsened school closures and learning loss. Access does not ensure learning due to poor infrastructure, lack of teachers, and resources. Girls, disabled, rural, and displaced children face major barriers. Low funding and poor allocation hinder progress, especially in low-income countries. Digital divide limits access to technology-based learning.

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NITI Aayog released two reports— “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India” and “Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India” on 9 April 2026 in New Delhi. The reports are based on consultations with 400+ institutions and inputs from 850+ scientists and researchers across India. The objective is to improve India’s Research and Development (R&D) ecosystem by making it more efficient, innovation-driven, and facilitative. The reports emphasize private sector participation, flexible systems, and a trust-based environment to boost India’s global leadership in science and innovation.

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The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026 report recently released by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The report warns of rising inflation and slowing growth due to the West Asia conflict. Inflation in developing Asia-Pacific economies is projected to rise to 4.6% in 2026 (from 3.5% in 2025), while growth may slow to 4% (from 4.6%). The conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has driven sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertiliser prices, raising inflation and weakening purchasing power. For India, high dependence on West Asian oil imports may increase the import bill, fuel inflation, and weaken the rupee, though growth is projected at 6.4% in 2026.

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The NITI Aayog released the report “Moving Towards Effective City Government – A Framework for Million-plus Cities” at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The report highlights that urbanisation is key to achieving Viksit Bharat 2047 and a $30 trillion economy, but cities face issues like weak governance, low financial autonomy, and fragmented institutions. It stresses empowering city governments as engines of economic growth, innovation, and employment. It suggests integrating urban services (water, sanitation, transport) under city authorities for better coordination.