Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Tracxn released the India Tech Annual Funding Report 2026, highlighting trends in India’s startup ecosystem. India’s tech startups raised USD 11.7 billion in FY26 (Financial Year 2025–26), showing an 18% decline from FY25 (USD 14.3B) but a 20% increase over FY24 (USD 9.7B). India ranked 4th globally, behind United States, United Kingdom, and China, but ahead of Germany and France.

Notes:
India has become a global leader in adopting artificial intelligence in healthcare, with 85% of consumers using AI-powered tools, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group. The report highlights that India’s adoption rate is much higher than countries like the United States (50%), United Kingdom (43%), and Japan (34%). Globally, about 60% of people use AI for health purposes, but India stands out due to higher digital acceptance and rapid adoption.

Notes:
Recently, the Extreme Heat and Agriculture Report was released jointly by Food and Agriculture Organization and World Meteorological Organization. It highlights that extreme heat is rising rapidly in frequency, intensity, and duration over the past 50 years. Extreme heat acts as a risk multiplier, worsening droughts, water stress, wildfires, and pest outbreaks. Labour productivity is declining, with up to 250 days/year becoming unsuitable for outdoor work in regions like South Asia. Crop yields (wheat, maize) decline 4–10% per 1°C rise, with extreme losses up to 50% in some regions. The report warns of serious threats to food security, livelihoods, and global agriculture systems.

Notes:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the 27th edition of “Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data” in Bhubaneswar. The report provides gender-disaggregated data on population, education, health, economy, decision-making, and violence. It includes 50 key indicators with metadata for better understanding of concepts and methods. The sex ratio at birth improved from 904 (2017–19) to 917 (2021–23). Infant mortality rate declined steadily for both males and females.

Notes:
India ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2026. The index is published annually by Reporters Without Borders. India was placed in the “very serious” category for press freedom conditions. The rank shows a decline from 151 in 2025, though an improvement from 159 in 2024. The index evaluates countries based on factors like pluralism, media independence, legal framework, transparency, and safety. The 2026 report highlighted issues such as violence against journalists and media ownership concentration in India.

Notes:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2025 report. The number of establishments in the unincorporated non-agricultural sector increased from 7.34 crore in 2023–24 to 7.92 crore in 2025, registering 7.97% growth. The “Other Services” sector recorded the highest growth in establishments, followed by manufacturing and trade. The sector provided employment to around 12.81 crore workers, adding over 74.52 lakh jobs compared to the previous survey. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Maharashtra accounted for more than one-third of total employment in the sector.

Notes:
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs released the “Global Forest Goals Report 2026.” The report warns that the world is not on track to achieve major forest-related goals by 2030, including ending deforestation and reducing extreme poverty among forest-dependent populations. Forests currently cover about 4.14 billion hectares, nearly one-third of Earth’s land area, and support around 1.6 billion people globally. More than 40 million hectares of forests were lost between 2015 and 2025, mainly in South America and Africa. The report highlights the need for stronger forest governance, restoration efforts, and increased financing for sustainable forest management.

Notes:
The report “The New Geopolitics of Food” was released by International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). The report states that geopolitical disruptions allowed major agrifood corporations to earn extraordinary profits while worsening global hunger, food inflation, and environmental degradation. It highlights that food inflation after 2020 enabled corporations to increase prices beyond actual production costs. The report also points to increasing concentration of corporate power in the global food system due to mergers and acquisitions.

Notes:
According to the Henley Passport Index 2026, India ranked 78th globally, slipping from 75th position earlier in the year. Indian passport holders currently have access to 56 destinations through visa-free, visa-on-arrival, or Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facilities. The Henley Passport Index is published by Henley & Partners using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Around 30 countries offer visa-free entry to Indians, while 23 provide visa-on-arrival facilities. Singapore retained the world’s strongest passport position in 2026 with access to 192 destinations.

Notes:
State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2026 was released by the World Bank Group. The report states that India has emerged as one of the world’s largest new carbon markets after launching its Carbon Credit Trading Scheme in 2026. India’s emissions trading system currently covers seven sectors and around 490 industries, with coverage of about 477 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The scheme is based on India’s existing Perform Achieve and Trade programme and focuses on emission-intensity targets for industries.