Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 2nd edition of the Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024. The National Statistics Office (NSO), MoSPI conducted the first all-India TUS in 2019. The latest survey was conducted from January to December 2024. It analyzes how Indians allocate time to employment, caregiving, and leisure. A key finding is the rise in women’s participation in paid jobs, shifting from unpaid domestic work. This trend reflects economic and social changes, impacting India’s labor market dynamics.

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Government expenditure is crucial for economic growth, infrastructure, and public welfare. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) developed the Quality of Public Expenditure (QPE) Index. This index measures how efficiently the Centre and states use public funds. The latest RBI report shows India’s public expenditure quality is at its highest since 1991. The improvement is due to increased capital spending, fiscal discipline, and better resource allocation. The QPE Index helps assess the effectiveness of government spending.

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NITI Aayog launched the report “From Borrowers to Builders: Women’s Role in India’s Financial Growth Story.” The report, released by CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, highlights the rise in women’s financial awareness. By December 2024, 27 million women were monitoring their credit, a 42% increase from the previous year. The report was published by TransUnion CIBIL, NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), and MicroSave Consulting (MSC). WEP works on financial literacy, credit access, mentorship, and market linkages for women. Financing Women Collaborative (FWC) was formed to ensure inclusive financial access and seeks financial sector participation.

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The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 report, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), shows a 45% surge in terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan in 2024. Pakistan is now the second-most terrorism-affected country, moving up from fourth place. Terrorism deaths rose from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024, marking one of the highest global increases. Terrorist attacks more than doubled, from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024, crossing 1,000 for the first time. A recent attack on Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed five soldiers and 13 civilians. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intensified operations, linked to the Afghan Taliban’s rise in Kabul.

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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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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released the report “Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well” at the ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event in France on March 27-28, 2025. The report highlights poor nutritional quality in school meals and urges governments to improve food standards. In 2024, 47% of primary school students received school meals, but many lacked proper nutrition. In 2022, 27% of school meals were not designed with nutritionist input. Out of 187 countries, only 93 had school food policies, and 65% had cafeteria food standards. Childhood obesity has more than doubled since 1990, while food insecurity remains a challenge. UNESCO recommends fresh, locally sourced food over ultra-processed options.

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The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) released a report titled “How Does Climate Change Impact Women and Children Across Agroecological Zones”. The report shows that women and children face a higher risk of death during disasters than men due to existing social roles and responsibilities. It highlights the urgent need for gender-disaggregated data to create better disaster response and climate policies. India has 20 agroecological zones with varied climates, which affect the level of vulnerability differently across regions. States like Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh have five agroecosystems each, while zones like the North Eastern Hills (Region 17) and Western Coastal Plains (Region 19) span multiple states. This overlap calls for coordinated climate adaptation strategies across states for better protection of women and children.

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India had the second highest maternal deaths in 2023, tied with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at 19,000, behind Nigeria with 75,000 deaths. The data comes from the Trends in Maternal Mortality 2000–2023 report by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), which includes World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Bank Group, and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). In 2023, 260,000 maternal deaths occurred worldwide, or 712 each day. India’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) dropped from 362 in 2000 to 80 in 2023—a 78% decline.

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The Future of Jobs Report 2025, which analyzes global labor market trends for the period of 2025-2030, was published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 stresses the need to align education with fast-changing global job demands. It highlights key forces shaping the job market by 2030, such as technology, demographics, green transition, and economic uncertainty. About 60% of employers see digital access and tech advancements as major change drivers. Nearly 50% of employers expect economic shifts to displace current jobs. Around 59 out of 100 workers will need training in tech skills, analytical thinking, and resilience. Demand will grow for roles like Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineers and Big Data specialists. The report calls for both technical and soft skills like adaptability, leadership, and emotional intelligence.

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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) to measure the development of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in line with Localized Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) assesses progress across nine themes like poverty-free, healthy, child-friendly, water-sufficient, clean and green, women-friendly, and well-governed Panchayats. Gujarat leads with 346 Front Runner Gram Panchayats, followed by Telangana with 270. Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2022–23 shows 699 GPs as Front Runners, 77,298 as Performers, 1,32,392 as Aspirants, and 5,896 at Beginner level. The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) uses 435 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework (NIF) by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).