Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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NITI Aayog released an Expert Group report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response —A Framework for Action’. The report offers a blueprint for rapid response to future public health emergencies. COVID-19 is not the last pandemic; 75% of future threats could be zoonotic. The report offers a 100-day response plan for pandemics, focusing on governance, data management, and partnerships. India’s efforts during COVID-19, like digital tools and R&D, were highlighted. The report recommends strengthening legislation, surveillance, and capacity-building. It involved consultations with over 60 experts and stakeholders. The framework aims to better prepare and manage future outbreaks effectively.

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India is aligning its state business readiness rankings with the new World Bank B-READY index. The B-READY (Business-Ready Index) replaces the discontinued Ease of Doing Business rankings. It assesses the business environment of global economies based on regulatory framework, public services, and efficiency. Key areas include digitalization, environmental sustainability, and gender equality. The index evaluates ten parameters across a business’s lifecycle, from starting to closing. It will expand from 54 economies initially to 180 countries by 2026. Global institutions and companies will use it to assess a country’s regulatory and policy environment.

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The State of Global Water Resources report 2023 reveals that it was the driest year for global rivers in over three decades. This annual report has been published by the World Meteorological Organization since 2021. It provides a detailed overview of water resources, drawing from various national and international sources. The last five years have seen widespread below-normal river flows and reservoir inflows. All glacier regions reported ice loss in 2023, marking the largest mass loss in 50 years. Over 600 gigatons of water were lost globally, and 3.6 billion people lack adequate water access. This figure is projected to rise to over 5 billion by 2050, indicating a failure to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6.

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India ranks 105th out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), with a score of 27.3, placing it in the ‘serious’ category. Despite its economic growth, India lags behind several South Asian neighbors in tackling hunger and malnutrition. The GHI measures and tracks hunger globally, regionally, and nationally, reflecting various dimensions of hunger. Created in 2006, it was initially published by IFPRI and Welthungerhilfe; now co-published by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide. The GHI aims to raise awareness, compare hunger levels, and highlight areas in need of urgent intervention.

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The Fraser Institute released the 2024 Economic Freedom of the World Report, ranking 165 countries based on economic choice. The top five most-economically free countries were Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, New Zealand, and the United States. India ranked 84th in the report. The report uses 42 variables, including government size, property rights, monetary policy, and trade freedom.

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India ranks 176th in the 2024 Global Nature Conservation Index with a score of 45.5, placing it among the five worst performers. The Nature Conservation Index (NCI), developed by Ben-Gurion University and BioDB.com, assesses land management, biodiversity threats, governance, and future conservation trends. India’s high pesticide use and soil pollution impact soil health, with a nitrogen sustainability index of 0.77. Marine conservation needs improvement, as only 0.2% of national waterways are protected, and no areas in India’s EEZ. Significant biodiversity risks include habitat loss, climate change, deforestation, and illegal wildlife trade. Strong political action and conservation laws are essential for sustainable development.

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World Health Organization (WHO) released the “Global TB Report 2024”. India has significantly improved treatment coverage for tuberculosis (TB), achieving 85% coverage among diagnosed individuals. The World Health Organization’s Global TB Report highlights an increase in preventive therapy for high-risk groups, such as household contacts of TB patients and people living with HIV. In 2023, 12.2 lakh people received preventive therapy, up from 10.2 lakh in 2022 and 4.2 lakh in 2021. The government provides free TB medications to alleviate financial burdens, as treatments can be costly and last up to two years. Treatment success rates are 89% for drug-susceptible TB, 73% for drug-resistant TB, and 69% for extremely drug-resistant TB. Challenges include the long duration of treatment, leading to poor compliance, prompting the government to introduce innovative solutions like pill boxes and shorter treatment courses.

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International Labour Organization (ILO) released the report titled ‘The impact of care responsibilities of women’s labour participation’. According to the report, 53% of women in India are outside the labor force due to care responsibilities, needing more investment in the care economy. Only 1.1% of men are out of work for similar reasons. The report emphasizes the need for early childhood care and education (ECCE) to boost women’s labor force participation and gender equality. In India, 97.8% of women and 91.4% of men are out of the workforce due to personal or family reasons. Globally, 708 million women and 40 million men are outside the labor force due to caregiving, highlighting a significant gender disparity.

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The Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) is a crucial report being drafted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It aims to offer policymakers a comprehensive assessment of environmental changes and effective solutions to combat pressing ecological issues. Scheduled for launch at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in December 2025, GEO-7 will cover a broad spectrum of environmental topics, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental health with economic and social stability, thereby influencing decisions across various sectors for sustainable development.

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The World Energy Employment 2024 report by the International Energy Agency highlights global energy employment surpassing broader labor market trends in 2023. Clean energy remains the main driver of job growth. In India, energy jobs account for over 8.5 million, or 1.5% of the total employment (566 million) in 2023. India’s energy sector relies heavily on informal labor. The clean energy workforce in India is expected to grow further, supported by government initiatives that promote job creation.