Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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NITI Aayog released a policy report titled ‘Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities’. It provides quantitative analysis of quality, funding, governance, and employability over the past decade. 80% of India’s higher education happens in SPUs, making reforms crucial for Viksit Bharat 2047. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to double higher education enrolment to 9 crore students by 2035. The report includes 80 policy recommendations and 125 performance indicators for reforms in research, curriculum, funding, and governance.

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) released the “India Gas Market Report: Outlook to 2030.” India aims to increase natural gas share in its energy mix from 6% to 15% by 2030. Gas consumption will grow by 60%, with the City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector driving demand. CGD supplies natural gas to households, industries, and other sectors through pipelines. India produced 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in 2023, with the Krishna-Godavari deepwater fields contributing 25%. India is the world’s fourth-largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importer, with imports set to more than double by 2030. Compressed Biogas (CBG) potential remains largely untapped, with current capacity below 1%.

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India ranked sixth in the Climate Risk Index 2025 by Germanwatch, highlighting its climate vulnerability. It was among the 10 most affected countries by extreme weather events from 1993 to 2022. India accounted for 10% of global fatalities and 4.3% of economic losses due to such events. The country faced floods, heatwaves, and cyclones, with major floods in 1993, 1998, and 2013. Severe heatwaves occurred in 2002, 2003, and 2015. More than 400 extreme events caused $180 billion in losses and at least 80,000 deaths in India.

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The UNCCD released a report on Land Restoration for International Peace and Security. It highlights that cooperation in managing shared natural resources can help prevent conflicts and foster political agreements. Land degradation causes economic loss, pushing affected communities into criminal activities like smuggling and human trafficking. Food insecurity due to crop failures and inflation can trigger political and economic instability, as seen in Somalia. It increases migration and displacement. Marginalized groups face discrimination and inequality. Weak land governance can escalate conflicts, as seen in disputes over the Amazon rainforest between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.

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International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the report titled “India Financial System Stability Assessment”. IMF warns that stress in Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) may risk the financial system due to overexposure to power and infrastructure sectors. 63% of power sector loans in fiscal 2024 came from three major Infrastructure Financing Companies, up from 55% in 2019-20. 56% of NBFC lending was financed by market instruments, with the rest from bank borrowings. State-owned NBFCs like IREDA face higher risks. In a stagflation scenario, public sector banks (PSBs) may struggle to maintain a 9% capital adequacy ratio (CAR). IMF recommends equal regulation for state-owned and private NBFCs and better data sharing.

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The State of India’s Digital Economy (SIDE) Report 2025 by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) highlights India’s digital growth. India is the 3rd-largest global economy but ranks 28th in digital user spending, showing a gap in per capita digital adoption. The CHIPS framework (Connect-Harness-Innovate-Protect-Sustain) measures digitalization across technology, economy, and society. India’s digital economy is growing twice as fast as its overall economy and may contribute 20% of GDP by 2029. India ranks 11th in AI research and 16th in AI infrastructure, while the US, China, South Korea, Singapore, and the Netherlands lead AI innovation. Overall, India ranks 8th globally in digital user economy when adjusted for economic size. ICRIER is an independent think tank researching economic growth, trade, digital economy, and climate change.

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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has started work on its Seventh Assessment Report. It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It has 195 member countries. The IPCC assesses scientific, technical, and socio-economic data on climate change, its impacts, and mitigation strategies. It provides scientific input for global climate policies but does not conduct new research. The Sixth Assessment Report was completed in 2023. IPCC reports play a key role in UN climate negotiations (UNFCCC).

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Delhi remains the most polluted capital city in the world in 2024, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m³. India ranks as the 5th most polluted country, with an average AQI of 50.6 μg/m³, 10 times higher than WHO’s guideline. 13 of the 20 most polluted cities globally are in India, with Byrnihat (Assam-Meghalaya border) being the most polluted. Other highly polluted Indian cities include Faridabad, Loni, Gurgaon, Noida, and Central Delhi. The World Air Quality Report, published by Swiss organization IQAir, analyzed PM2.5 data from 8,954 cities in 138 countries.

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India ranked 24th out of 33 countries in the Free Speech Index, according to a survey by The Future of Free Speech, a U.S.-based think tank. The report, “Who in the World Supports Free Speech?”, highlights a global decline in support for controversial speech. India scored 62.6, ranking between South Africa (66.9) and Lebanon (61.8). The findings suggest a gap between public perception and actual free speech conditions in India.

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Finland is the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, as per the World Happiness Report 2025. Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden rank second, third, and fourth, respectively. Rankings are based on people’s self-assessment of their lives, in a study by the Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. India ranks 118th overall but performs well in benevolence measures: 10th in volunteering, 57th in donations, and 74th in helping strangers. Afghanistan is the unhappiest country (147th), while Nepal (92nd) and Pakistan (109th) rank ahead of India.