MARKS BOOSTER

SERIES
REPORTS & INDICES
PRELIMS 2024
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. TABLE OF REPORTS AND INDICES ……………………………………………………………… 1-8

1.1. Reports by Financial Organizations ……………………………………………………….. 1
1.2. Reports by UN Organizations……………………………............................................…… 2
1.3. Reports by Organizations Related to the Energy Sector ………………………………… 4
1.4. Reports and Indices by Non-Profit Organizations ………………………………………. 4
1.5. Reports by Think Tanks and Research Organizations …………………………………… 5
1.6. Miscellaneous ………………………………………………………………………………… 6
1.7. Reports by Indian Institutions and Ministries ……………………………………………. 6
2. DESCRIPTION OF SOME IMPORTANT REPORTS AND INDICES ……………………… 9-35
2.1. Global Gender Gap Index …………………………………………………………………… 9
2.2. Environment Performance Index (EPI) ……………………………………………………. 9
2.3. Global Economic Prospects ………………………………………………………………… 10
2.4. World Development Report ……………………………………………………………….. 10
2.5. Logistics Performance Index ………………………………………………………………. 10
2.6. International Debt Report …………………………………………………………………. 11
2.7. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) ………………………………. 11
2.8. International Migration Outlook …………………………………………………………… 11
2.9. Goods Trade Barometer …………………………………………………………………….. 11
2.10. World Happiness Report …………………………………………………………………… 12
2.11. Gender Inequality Index ……………………………………………………………………. 13
2.12. Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) …………………………………………… 13
2.13. Human Development Report ……………………………………………………………… 14
2.14. World Cities Report …………………………………………………………………………. 15
2.15. Global Education Monitoring Report ……………………………………………………… 15
2.16. World Population Prospects ………………………………………………………………… 15
2.17. Gender Snapshot ……………………………………………………………………………. 15
2.18. Global Environment Outlook ………………………………………………………………. 16
2.19. Emission Gap Report ………………………………………………………………………... 16
2.20. State of the World’s Forest Report ……………………………………………………….... 17
2.21. World Health Statistics …..………………………………………………………................. 17
2.22. Greenhouse Gas Bulletin ..………………………………………………………................... 18
2.23. State of the Global Climate ……………………………………………………….................. 18
2.24. World Energy Transitions Outlook ……………………………………………................... 19

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2.25. World Energy Outlook ……………………………………………....................................... 19
2.26. Living Planet Report …………………………………………................................................ 20
2.27. Corruption Perception Index ………………………………................................................. 20
2.28. World Press Freedom Index ……………………………….................................................. 20
2.29. Global Hunger Index (GHI) ………………………………................................................... 21
2.30. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) ………..................................................... 21
2.31. India Inequality Report: Digital Divide ……….................................................................... 22
2.32. World Inequality Report ………............................................................................................. 22
2.33. Global Liveability Index …….................................................................................................. 23
2.34. Report on International Arms Transfers ……...................................................................... 23
2.35. Climate Transparency Report …............................................................................................. 23
2.36. World Air Quality Report …................................................................................................... 24
2.37. Global Innovation Index …..................................................................................................... 25
2.38. India State of Forest Report …................................................................................................. 25
2.39. Report on the Status of Leopard In India …........................................................................ 27
2.40. State of India’s Environment Report …................................................................................. 27
2.41. National Family Health Survey (NFHS) …........................................................................... 28
2.42. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) …............................................................................... 28
2.43. Tribal Development Report …................................................................................................ 29
2.44. Gross Domestic Climate Risk Report …................................................................................ 29
2.45. Municipal Bond Index …......................................................................................................... 30
2.46. Crime in India Report …......................................................................................................... 30
2.47. National Institutional Ranking Framework ........................................................................ 30
2.48. Ease of Living Index ............................................................................................................... 31
2.49. Swachh Survekshan Report ................................................................................................... 32
2.50. Sdg India Index ......................................................................................................................... 32
2.51. India Innovation Index ............................................................................................................ 33
2.52. National Air Quality Index...................................................................................................... 33
2.53. Greenex Carbon Index ............................................................................................................ 34
2.54. Financial Stability Report ........................................................................................................ 34
2.55. Financial Inclusion Index ........................................................................................................ 34

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 REPORTS AND INDICES
A. Reports by Financial Organizations

Global Tax Evasion Report European Union Tax Observatory

World Economic Forum (WEF)

1. Inclusive Development Index 11. Global Cyber Security Outlook

2. Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 12. Global Risks Report
3. Global Energy Architecture Performance 13. Net-Zero Industry Tracker
Index 14. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lighthouses
4. Global Competitiveness Report Report - In collaboration with Global Parity
5. Global Gender Gap Index Alliance
6. Chief Economists Outlook Report 15. Environment Performance Index (Biennial) -
7. Future of Jobs Report In collaboration with Yale University &
Columbia University
8. Fostering Effective Energy Transition Report
16. Energy Transition Index
9. State of the Connected World Report
17. BiodiverCities by 2030: Transforming cities’
10. Global Health and Healthcare Strategic
relationship with nature
Outlook
18. Education 4.0 Report

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

1. World Economic Outlook (Biannual) 4. Fiscal Monitor Report

2. Global Financial Stability Report 5. External Sector Report
3. Geoeconomic Fragmentation: Sub-Saharan
Africa Caught between the Fault Lines

World Bank

1. Remittance Report 9. Women, Business and the Law Report

2. Global Economic Prospects (GEP)
3. World Development Report
4. Ease of Doing Business
5. Business Ready (B-READY) project
6. Thriving: Making Cities Green, Resilient, and
Inclusive in a Changing Climate
7. Logistics Performance Index
8. World Governance Index
10. Global Human Capital Index
11. Global Financial Development Report
12. Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy
13. Groundswell Report: Acting on Internal
Climate Migration
14. Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report
15. International Debt Report

Organization for Economic Development (OECD)

1. The Programme for International Student 3. Development Co-operation Report

Assessment (PISA) 4. Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI)
2. International Migration Outlook

World Trade Organisation (WTO)

1. Goods Trade Barometer (Earlier known as 2. World Trade Statistical Review

World Trade Outlook Indicator) 3. World Trade Report

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B. Reports by UN Organizations

World Happiness Report UN-Sustainable Development Solutions Network

(SDSN)

Refugee Education Report United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR)

State of World Population Report United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Gender Strategy

Global E-waste Monitor Report International Telecommunication Union (ITU),

the Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme

Global Slavery Index (GSI) International Labour Organisation (ILO), Walk

Free, and the International Organisation for
Migration (IOM)

AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC)

Industrial Development Report United Nations Industrial Development

Organisation (UNIDO)

World Migration Report International Organisation for Migration

UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)

1. Gender Inequality Index 3. Global Multidimensional Poverty Index -(in

2. Human Development Report association with Oxford Poverty & Human
Development Initiative)

UN-Habitat

1. World Cities Report 2. Habitat Commitment Index

United Nations International Telecommunication Union (UN-ITU)

1. Global Digital Regulatory Outlook 3. Global Cyber Security Index

2. Global Connectivity Report

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

1. Global Education Monitoring Report 4. Global Ocean Science Report

2. Gender Parity Index 5. UN World Water Development Report
3. State of the Education Report for India

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

1. Prospects for children in 2022: A global outlook 3. Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys
2. Humanitarian Action for Children 4. Gender Action Plan

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International Labour Organisation (ILO)

1. World Employment and Social Outlook 4. World of Work Report

2. Global Wage Report 5. Global Employment Trends for Youth
3. World Social Protection Report 6. Social Dialogue Report

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

1. The Technology and Innovation Report 5. The Least Developed Countries Report
2. World Investment Report 6. Economic Development in Africa Report
3. The Information Economy Report 7. Digital Economy Report
4. The Trade & Development Report 8. Review of Maritime Transport

UN-DESA (Dept of Economic and Social Affairs)

1. World’s Women Report 5. World Economic Situation and Prospects

2. World Social Report 6. E-Government Development Index
3. World Population Prospects 7. E-Government Survey
4. The Sustainable Development Goals Report (in 8. E-Participation Index
collaboration with the UN Statistical System) 9. Gender Snapshot (in collaboration with the UN
Women)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

1. Global Environment Outlook 6. Greening the Blue Report

2. Emission Gap Report 7. State of Finance for Nature
3. Adaptation Gap Report 8. The State of the World’s Peatlands
4. Inclusive Wealth Report 9. Global Methane Assessment Report
5. International Methane Emissions Observatory
Report

Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

1. State of the World’s Forests Report 5. Global Food Price Index

2. The State of Food and Agriculture 6. Hunger Hotspot - In collaboration with WFP
3. The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (World Food Program)
4. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 7. State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

World Health Organization (WHO)

1. World Health Statistics 4. World Malaria Report

2. Global Tuberculosis Report 5. Ambient Air Pollution Report
3. Global Nutrition Report 6. Global Status Report on Road Safety

World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

1. Global Seasonal Climate Update 4. State of Global Water Resources

2. Greenhouse Gas Bulletin 5. United in Science Report
3. State of the Global Climate 6. State of Climate Services

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

1. Global Gender Gap in Innovation and 2. Patent Landscape Report

Creativity 3. World Intellectual Property Report

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UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

1. World Drug Report 4. Global Report on Corruption in Sport

2. World Wildlife Crime Report 5. Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
3. Global Report on Cocaine

C. Reports by Organizations Related to the Energy Sector

The Breakthrough Agenda Report IRENA, IEA, and the UN Climate Change High-
Level Action Champions

World Oil Outlook Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting

Countries (OPEC)

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

1. World Energy Transitions Outlook 2. Renewable Capacity Statistics

International Energy Agency (IEA)

1. World Energy Outlook 5. Clean Energy Transitions Programme

2. World Energy Investment Report 6. Global Methane Tracker
3. Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 7. Net Zero by 2050 Report
4. Energy Technology Perspectives

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

1. Nuclear Security Review 5. Technical Cooperation Report

2. Nuclear Safety Review 6. Red Book (Uranium Resources, Production and
3. Nuclear Technology Review Demand)(IAEA + OECD’s Nuclear Energy
4. Global Status of Decommissioning of Nuclear Agency (NEA))
Installations

D. Reports and Indices by Non-Profit Organizations

Living Planet Report World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Corruption Perception Index Transparency International

World Press Freedom Index Reporters Without Borders

Death Penalty in India: Annual Statistics Report Project 39A of the National Law University

Global Hunger Index International Food Policy Research Institute

(IFPRI), Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe

Global Pension Index Melbourne Mercer + CFA Institute + Monash

Centre for Financial Studies

Global Estimates of Modern Slavery ILO, Walk Free Foundation, and International
Organization for Migration

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Climate Change Performance Index German Watch + New Climate Institute + Climate
Action Network

Global Climate Risk Index German Watch

Rule of Law Index World Justice Project, US independent

Multidisciplinary organisation

Financial Secrecy Index Tax Justice Network

Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index Oxfam and Development Finance International

Network Readiness Index Portulans Institute, Washington-based non-profit

Institute

Internet Freedom Index / Freedom on the Net Freedom House

Report

Henley Passport Index Henley and Partners

Global Crypto Adoption Index Chainalysis

Oxfam India

1. India Inequality Report: Digital Divide 3. An Economy for the 99%

2. India Discrimination Report

E. Reports by Think Tanks and Research Organisations

Index of Economic Freedom Heritage Foundation + Wall Street Journal

State of Global Air Report Health Effects Institute, Boston

Social Progress Index Institute for Competitiveness and Social Progress

Imperative

World Inequality Report World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics

Global Wealth Report Credit Suisse Group, a Switzerland-based

multinational investment bank

Ocean State Report Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring

Service

Global Food Policy Report International Food Policy Research Institute

(IFPRI)

World Competitiveness Index Institute for Management Development (IMD)

World Competitiveness Center

Democracy Report V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s University of

Gothenburg

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Institute of Economics & Peace (IEP), Australia

1. Ecological Threat Report (ETR) 3. Global Terrorism Index

2. Global Peace Index

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), UK

1. Worldwide Cost of Living Index 3. Global Liveability Index

2. Global Democracy Index 4. Inclusive Internet Index

F. Miscellaneous

Intellectual Property Index US Chamber of Commerce

Global Innovation Index Cornell University, INSEAD & WIPO

Global Talent Competitiveness Index INSEAD

World Wildlife Trade Report CITES in collaboration with UNEP, UNCTAD,

WTO, IUCN and TRAFFIC

Global State of Democracy Report International Institute for Democracy and

Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Outlook Electoral Assistance (International-IDEA)

Report on International Arms Transfers SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research

Institute)

Climate Transparency Report G20

World Air Quality Report IQAir

Asian Dvelopment Bank

1. Asian Economic Integration Report 2. Asian Development Outlook

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

1. Red List 2. Wetlands and people at risk

G. Reports by Indian Institutions and Ministries

India State of Forest Report Forest Survey of India

Income inequality shrinks, Mobility on the Rise SBI

India Social Development Report The Council of Social Development

Report on the Status of Leopard in India National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

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State of Rhino Report International Rhino Foundation (IRF)

The India Infrastructure Report IDFC Foundation, Infrastructure Development

Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd. (iDeCK) and the
National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)

State of India’s Environment Report Down to Earth, Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE)

‘State of India’s Pollution Control Boards’ report Centre for Policy Research

RESIDEX National Housing Bank

India Justice Report Tata Trusts

Internet in India Report Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)

Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Ministry of Commerce and Industry

National Coal Index (NCI) Ministry of Coal

National Family Health Survey Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

State Food Safety Index Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI)

Periodic Labour Force Survey National Statistical Office (NSO)

Tribal Development Report Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF)

Gross Domestic Climate Risk Report Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI)

Municipal Bond Index NSE Indices Ltd

Greenex Carbon Index Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

Crime In India Report National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

Public Affairs Index Public Affairs Centre

Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) PRATHAM, an NGO

Ministry of Education

1. National Institutional Ranking Framework 3. United Information System for Education Plus
(NIRF) (UDISE+) Report
2. All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 4. Performance Grading Index
5. National Achievement Survey

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Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

1. Ease of Living Index (At India Level) 2. Swachh Survekshan Report

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

1. State Energy Efficiency Index - in association 2. Energy Performance Index

with the Alliance for an Energy-Efficient
Economy (AEEE)

NITI Aayog

1. Responsible AI 9. Export Preparedness Index (EPI) - along with

2. SDG India Index Institute of Competitiveness
3. Data Governance Quality Index 10. India Innovation Index - in association with the
4. State Energy and Climate Index Institute for Competitiveness.
5. Composite Water Management Index 11. School Education Quality Index (SEQI)- (in
association with the MHRD and World Bank).
6. India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy
7. Strategy for New India at 75
8. ‘Promoting Millets in Diets’ Report

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

1. National Air Quality Index 2. Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index

(CEPI)

Labour Bureau

1. All-India Quarterly establishment-based 2. All India Survey on Migration

Employment Survey (AQEES)

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

1. Interest Subvention Report 4. Report on Currency and Finance

2. Financial Stability Report 5. State of the Economy Bulletin
3. Finance of Panchayat Raj Institutions 6. Financial Inclusion Index

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 DESCRIPTION OF SOME IMPORTANT
REPORTS
GLOBAL GENDER GAP INDEX
Prepared by: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
• It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress
of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these
gaps over time since its inception in 2006.
• According to the 2023 Global Gender Gap Index, no
country has yet achieved full gender parity.
• Out of the 117 countries with available data since
2017, 18 countries, including Bolivia (50.4%), India
(44.4%) and France (42.3%), have achieved
representation of women of over 40% in local
governance.
Parameters/Indicators
• Economic Participation and Opportunity
• Educational Attainment
• Health and Survival
• Political Empowerment

ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX (EPI)

Prepared by: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
• The Environment Performance Index (EPI) measures the environmental health and sustainability of
countries.
• The EPI, a biennial index, was started in 2002 as the Environmental Sustainability Index.
• It was started by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Yale Center for Environmental
Law and Policy and the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information
Network.
• The 2022 EPI
leverages 40
performance
indicators grouped
into 11 issue
categories.
• These issue categories
are in turn,
aggregated into three
policy objectives:
1. Environmental
Health
2. Ecosystem Vitality
3. Climate Change.
• These indicators
provide a gauge at a
national scale of how
close countries are to
establishing
environmental policy
targets.

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• The EPI team transforms the raw environmental data into indicators that place countries on a 0–100
scale from worst to best performance.
• India is ranked 180th among 180 countries.
○ With a score of 27.6, India was ranked 168th in EPI-2020.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS

Prepared by: WORLD BANK
• The world economy is expected to expand by 5.6%, the fastest post-recession growth rate in eighty
years.
• India's economy is expected to grow at 8.3% for Fiscal Year 2021-22, 7.5% for 2022-23 and 6.5% for 2023-
24.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced measures to provide liquidity to Micro, Small and Medium
firms (MSMEs), and loosened regulatory requirements on the provisioning for non-performing assets.
• Fiscal policy shifted in the FY 2021/22 budget toward higher expenditure targeted at healthcare and
infrastructure to boost the post-pandemic recovery.

WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Prepared by: WORLD BANK
• This year’s Report discusses migration.
• There are 184 million migrants worldwide, which is 2.3% of the population,
○ It includes 37 million refugees.
○ Of them, 43 per cent live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Migration issues are becoming even more widespread and urgent due to severe divergences between
and within countries—in terms of real wages, labour market opportunities, demographic patterns, and
climate costs.
● The report estimated a 120% income gain for Indians who migrate to another country for work,
compared to a 40% rise in the case of internal migration.
● Under-skilled Indian citizens migrating to the US noticed a hike in their income of nearly 500%,
followed by the UAE by almost 300%.

LOGISTICS PERFORMANCE INDEX

Prepared by: WORLD BANK
• It helps countries identify the challenges and
opportunities they face in their performance of trade
logistics and what they can do to improve their
performance.
• The LPI considers six parameters to evaluate
logistics performance, namely:
1. Customs performance
2. Infrastructure quality
3. Ease of arranging shipments
4. Logistics services quality
5. Consignment tracking and tracing
6. Timeliness of shipments
• The LPI was reported by the World Bank every two
years from 2010 to 2018, with a break in 2020 due to
the COVID-19 pandemic and a restructuring of the
index methodology, which eventually came out in
2023.

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INTERNATIONAL DEBT REPORT
Prepared by: World Bank
• India’s total debt is around 81% of GDP.
• As per the RBI data, India’s external debt is around 18.6%.
• India’s debt service was 2% of the GNI in 2022.
• Due to a tighter monetary policy in advanced economies, there was a net outflow of over US$127 billion
from LMICs as investors sought attractive returns in US and European bonds.

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)

Prepared by: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study conducted by the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member
nations.
○ In 2000, the PISA exercise was first performed, and then it is conducted every three years.
• PISA is a global exercise where students from different countries are put under a two-hour test to
measure their skills and knowledge; mainly in science, reading, and mathematics.
○ PISA test questions don't measure the memorization of facts.
○ The test demands that students draw on real-world problem-solving skills and knowledge.
• The main objective of the exercise is to evaluate educational systems around the world by measuring
15-year-old school students' performance in mathematics, science, and reading.

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OUTLOOK

Prepared by: Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD)
• India saw the highest migration flows to Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
countries in 2021 and 2022.
• In terms of nationalities, 0.13 million Indian citizens
acquired the nationality of an OECD country in 2021.
• Inflows of refugees from Ukraine reached the highest
level on record, OECD-wide, due to the ongoing
Russia-Ukraine war; more than 10 million people have
become either internally displaced or refugees in the
OECD region.
• In terms of workers, migration flows from India (+172
per cent), Uzbekistan (+122 per cent), and Turkey (+240
per cent) rose sharply, making them the primary
countries of origin after Ukraine.

Goods Trade Barometer (Earlier known as World Trade Outlook Indicator)

Prepared by: World Trade Organization (WTO)
• The Goods Trade Barometer was developed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to complement
conventional trade statistics and forecasts.
• It is the world’s leading composite indicator that highlights the turning points in the global
merchandise trade and provides forecasts of its likely trajectory in the future.
• It is released on a quarterly basis based on the availability of data.
• The barometer index shows how the latest data compare with short-run trends in goods trade. A
reading of 100 indicates trade expansion in line with recent trends. Readings greater than 100 suggest
above-trend growth while readings below 100 indicate below-trend growth.

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TRENDS
• In its recent release, it said trade growth is likely to slow down in 2022 and into 2023.
• Reflecting a cooling demand for traded goods based on actual trade developments through the second
quarter of 2022, the current reading of 96.2 is below the baseline value index and the prior reading of
100.0.
INDIA
• With a likely fall in export earnings and no decrease in imports of essential items like crude oil and
capital goods, India’s trade deficit is set to widen.
• The projection is that the country’s current account trade deficit is expected to be around 3% of GDP
for FY23.
• Foreign exchange reserves, which have already depleted by over $100 billion over
the last year, are likely to shrink further.
• India is not an export-led economy.
• In FY22, 21.5% of Indian GDP depended on exports.
• During the subprime crisis, which engulfed the entire world, India’s export-oriented sectors had to pay
the price though the economy was, to a large extent, insulated due to a vibrant rural sector.

WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT

Prepared by: UN-Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
• India was ranked 126th on the report in world happiness report in 2024.
• The report considers six key factors, which include:
1. Levels of GDP
2. Life expectancy
3. Generosity
4. Social support
5. Freedom, and
6. Corruption levels in the country.
These indicators are estimated to contribute to making life evaluations higher in each country than in
Dystopia. Dystopia is a hypothetical country with values equal to the world’s lowest national averages for
each of the six factors.

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GENDER INEQUALITY INDEX
Prepared by: UNDP
• GII is a composite metric of gender inequality using three dimensions:
1. Reproductive health
2. Empowerment
3. Labour market.
• It reflects the gap in human development potential due to inequality between female and male
achievements in these areas.
• GII values range from 0 (equality) to 1 (extreme inequality).
○ A low GII value indicates low inequality between women and men, and vice-versa.

GLOBAL MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY INDEX (MPI)

Prepared by: UNDP
India’s Performance
• India still has more than 230 million poor people.
○ India has about 18.7% population under this
category.
• India is among 25 countries, including Cambodia,
China, Congo, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco,
Serbia, and Vietnam, that successfully halved their
global MPI values within 15 years.
○ Some 415 million Indians escaped poverty
between 2005-06 and 2019-21.
• India progressed significantly in all three
deprivation indicators:
○ Health
○ Education
○ Standard of living.
• The percentage of people who were multi-
dimensionally poor and deprived of nutrition
decreased from 44.3% in 2005/2006 to 11.8% in
2019/2021, and child mortality fell from 4.5% to
1.5%.

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HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Prepared by: UNDP
• The Human Development Report (HDRs) has been released since 1990.
• The first HDR was proposed in 1990 by Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and Pakistani economist
Mahbub Ul Haq. The studies on human capacities by Amartya Sen served as the foundation for the
human development theory of Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq.
• The reports are produced by the Human Development Report Office for the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
• HDI is a composite index that measures average achievement in human development, taking into
account three indicators:
○ Life expectancy at birth (SDG 3)
○ Expected years of schooling and Mean years of schooling (SDG 4)
○ Gross national income (GNI) (SDG 8)

Top Three Countries: Bottom Three

• Switzerland (0.967) Countries:
• Norway (0.966) • Somalia (0.380)
• Iceland (0.959) • South Sudan (0.381)
• Central African
Republic (0.387)
India’s performance
• India’s average life expectancy reached 67.7 years in 2023-24.
○ This was up from 62.7 years the previous year.
• India’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita has surged to USD 6,951.
○ This marked a 6.3% increase over the span of 12 months.
• India attained an HDI score of 0.644 in 2023-24, positioning it at 134 out of 193 countries in the UN’s
2023-24 report.
• This categorises India under ‘medium human development.’
• There is a 9.1-year increase in life expectancy at birth.
○ This marked a rise of 4.6 years in expected years of schooling and
○ An increase of 3.8 years in mean years of schooling.

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WORLD CITIES REPORT
Prepared by: UN-HABITAT
• The UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2022 highlights that rapid urbanization in India was delayed
temporarily due to covid-19 pandemic.
• Urban population in India is estimated to reach at 675 million in 2035.
• It will be the second-highest figure, behind China’s one billion.
• After covid-19 pandemic, the global urban population is growing again. It will grow by another 2.2
billion by 2050.
• The percentage of the population in urban areas of India will be 43.2 per cent, by 2035.
• The urban population in Asia will increase to 2.99 billion in 2035.
• Big economies such as China and India account for a large share of the world’s population.

GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT

Prepared by: UNESCO
• Global Education Monitoring Report 2023, titled ‘Technology in Education: A Tool on Whose Terms’
endorsed a ban on smartphones in schools where technology integration does not improve learning.
• The report highlighted that “mere proximity to a mobile device was found to distract students and to
hurt learning in 14 countries, yet less than one in four have banned smartphone use in schools.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid shift to online learning left out at least half a billion students
worldwide, disproportionately affecting the poorest and those in rural areas.
• Children’s data are being exposed, yet only 16% of countries explicitly guarantee data privacy in
education by law.
• Many countries ignore the long-term financial implications of technology purchases, and the EdTech
market continues to expand while basic education needs remain unmet.

WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS

Prepared by: UN-DESA (Dept of Economic and Social Affairs)
• According to the 2022 edition of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP), India is
projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023.
• The Population Division of the UN has been publishing the WPP in a biennial cycle since 1951.
• Each revision of the WPP provides a historical time series of population indicators starting in 1950.
• It does so by taking into account newly released national data to revise estimates of past trends in
fertility, mortality, or international migration.
• According to the UN’s projections, which are calculated through a variety of factors, including
census data and birth and death rates, India now has a population of 1,425,775,850, surpassing China
for the first time.
• It is also the first time since 1950, when the UN first began keeping global population records, that
China has been knocked off the top spot.
• In India, the population has grown by more than a billion since 1950. Though growth has now
slowed, the number of people in the country is still expected to continue to rise for the next few
decades, hitting its peak of 1.7 billion by 2064.

GENDER SNAPSHOT
Prepared by: Joint report by UN-DESA and UN Women
• The “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2023” report is jointly
produced by UN Women and UN DESA.

15
• It provides a comprehensive analysis of gender equality progress across all 17 UN Sustainable
Development Goals (UN SDGs).
What is Gender Equality?
• The United Nations states that gender equality 'means that women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy
the same rights, resources, opportunities, and protections.
• It does not require that girls and boys, or women and men, be treated exactly alike'.
Key Highlights
• Halfway to the end point of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, the world is failing to
achieve gender equality.

• If current trends continue, more than 340 million

women and girls will still live in extreme poverty
by 2030
• Approximately one in four will experience
moderate or severe food insecurity
• Growing vulnerability brought on by human-
induced climate change is likely to worsen this
outlook
○ As many as 236 million more women and girls
will be food-insecure under a worstcase climate
scenario
• The gender gap in power and leadership positions
remains entrenched
○ At the current rate of progress, the next generation of women will still spend on average 2.3 more
hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work than men
• No country is within reach of eradicating intimate partner violence
• Women’s share of workplace management positions will remain below parity even by 2050.

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK

Prepared by: UNEP
• The Global Environment Outlook is often referred to as the UN Environment’s flagship environmental
assessment.
• UNEP launched the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Project in 1995. It has two components:
○ A global environmental assessment process: The GEO Process is cross-sectoral and participatory.
It incorporates regional views and perceptions and builds consensus on priority issues and actions
through dialogue among policy-makers and scientists at regional and global levels.
○ GEO outputs, in printed and electronic formats, including the GEO Report series. This series makes
periodic reviews of the state of the world’s environment and provides guidance for decision-making
processes such as the formulation of environmental policies, action planning and resource allocation.
Other outputs include technical reports, a Web site and a publication for young people.

EMISSION GAP REPORT

Prepared by: UNEP
• The report finds that fully implementing and continuing mitigation efforts of unconditional nationally
determined contributions (NDCs) made under the Paris Agreement for 2030 would put the world on
course for limiting temperature rise to 2.9°C this century. Fully implementing conditional NDCs would
lower this to 2.5°C.
• GHG emissions across the G20 also increased by 1.2% in 2022.

16
• However, members vary widely in their trends, with increases in China, India, Indonesia, and the
United States of America, but decreases in Brazil, the European Union, and the Russian Federation.
Collectively, the G20 currently accounts for 76% of global emissions.

STATE OF THE WORLD’S FOREST REPORT

Prepared by: FAO
• The report is published bi-annually.
• The 2022 edition of SOFO explores the potential of three forest pathways for achieving green recovery
and tackling multidimensional planetary crises, including climate change and biodiversity loss.
○ Halting deforestation and maintaining forests
○ Restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry
○ Sustainably using forests and building green value chains
• The world has lost 420 million hectares (mha), approximately 10.34 percent of its total forest area in
the last 30 years, according to the 2022 edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO).
• Forest biodiversity remains under threat from deforestation and forest degradation.
• SOFO 2022, stated that 15 percent of 250 emerging infectious diseases have been linked to forests.

WORLD HEALTH STATISTICS

Prepared by: WHO
The World Health Statistics Report is the annual compilation of health and health-related indicators which
has been published by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2005.
• The 2023 edition reviews more than 50 health-related indicators from the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) and WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 13).
• According to the WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 20 million deaths.
○ By the end of 2021, it is estimated that 14.9 million excess deaths could be attributed to the pandemic.
• The age group of 55-64 years old has witnessed the highest number of Years Of Lost Life (YLL) globally,
with over 90 million years of life lost.
• The report highlights a concerning trend of stalled progress in key health indicators since 2015.
○ This stagnation poses a formidable challenge to the timely attainment of the United Nations-
mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
• Among the pressing health burdens of our time, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) take center stage.
○ The report reveals that NCDs have been the primary cause of annual deaths, increasing from 61% in
2000 to nearly 75% in 2019.

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GREENHOUSE GAS BULLETIN
Prepared by: WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION (WMO)
• Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, an annual document analyses data from the WMO Global Atmosphere
Watch (GAW) Programme.
• GAW provides information on atmospheric composition to the public.
○ It consists of a worldwide measuring network of observation stations and scientific infrastructure.
• Greenhouse Gas Bulletin compares current global Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), and Nitrous
oxide (N2O) levels with last year's and pre-industrial levels (before the year 1750).
• It also provides insights into Radiative forcing changes by long-lived GHGs (LLGHGs) like CO2, CH4,
and CFCs.
Data points
• Carbon dioxide concentrations in 2022 were 50% above the pre-industrial era.
• Global average CO2 concentrations reached 417.9 ppm in 2022, representing a 150% increase from
pre-industrial levels.
• Methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) concentrations increased by 264% and 124%, respectively,
from pre-industrial levels in 2022.
• From 1990 to 2022, radiative forcing by LLGHGs increased by 49%, with CO2 accounting for about
78% of this increase.

STATE OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE

Prepared by: WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION (WMO)
The report focuses on key climate indicators:
1. Greenhouse Gases
2. Temperature
3. Sea level rise
4. Ocean Heat and Acidification
5. Sea ice, and
6. Glaciers
DATA POINTS

• 2023 was the hottest year on

record, with the global average
near-surface temperature at 1.45
°Celsius (with a margin of
uncertainty of ± 0.12 °C) above the
pre-industrial baseline.
• Numerous records for indicators of
the climate system, including
greenhouse gas levels (GHGs),
surface temperatures, ocean heat,
sea level rise, Antarctic Sea ice
cover, glacier retreat, etc., were
broken.
• On an average day in 2023, nearly
one-third of the global ocean was
gripped by a marine heatwave,
harming vital ecosystems and food
systems.

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WORLD ENERGY TRANSITIONS OUTLOOK
Prepared by: INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY (IRENA)
• The Outlook sets out priority areas and actions based on available technologies that must be realized
by 2030 to achieve net zero emissions by mid-century.
• It also takes stock of progress across all energy uses to date, which shows that the current pace and
scale of the renewables-based transition is inadequate.
• It provides an in-depth analysis of two areas particularly relevant for the decarbonization of end-use
sectors: electrification and bioenergy.
• It also explores the socio-economic impacts of the 1.5°C pathway (under the Paris Agreement) and
suggests ways to speed progress towards universal access to clean energy (renewable energy).

WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK

Prepared by: INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA)
• The report highlights the sweeping changes expected to take place in the global energy sector by the
end of this decade.
• According to the World Energy Outlook report, the share of renewable energy in the world will reach
50 per cent by 2030 from the current 30 per cent.
• By 2030 there will be approximately ten times more electric cars on roads worldwide.
• Investment in new offshore wind projects will triple by 2030, according to the World Energy Outlook
report.
• The demand for fossil fuels, i.e. oil, gas, and coal will be at its peak in 2030, after which the demand
will start decreasing.
○ However, it is important to note that coal is the only fossil fuel projected to decline over the next
decade under the International Energy Agency's announced policy scenarios.
○ Global coal consumption is projected to decline by 13.5% by 2030, but natural gas and oil
consumption are both projected to increase.
• The WEO-2023 proposes a global strategy for getting the world on track by 2030 that consists of five
key pillars, which can also provide the basis for a successful COP28 climate change conference.

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 1. Tripling global renewable capacity;
2. doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvements;
3. slashing methane emissions from fossil fuel operations by 75%;
4. innovative, large-scale financing mechanisms to triple clean energy investments in emerging and
developing economies; and
5. measures to ensure an orderly decline in the use of fossil fuels, including an end to new approvals
of unabated coal-fired power plants.

LIVING PLANET REPORT

Prepared by: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
• It is published biennially by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
• The Living Planet Report 2022 is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health
of the planet.
• This flagship WWF publication reveals an average decline of 69% in species populations since 1970.
• The highest decline (94 percent) was in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
• Africa recorded a 66 percent fall in its wildlife populations from 1970-2018, and the Asia Pacific 55
percent.
• Freshwater species populations globally were reduced by 83 percent. Habitat loss and barriers to
migration routes were responsible for about half of the threats to monitored migratory fish species.
• It identified six key threats to biodiversity — agriculture, hunting, logging, pollution, invasive
species, and climate change — to highlight ‘threat hotspots' for terrestrial vertebrates.
• Mangroves continue to be lost to aquaculture, agriculture, and coastal development at a rate of 0.13
percent per year. Around 137 square kilometers of the Sundarbans mangrove forest in India and
Bangladesh has been eroded since 1985.

CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX

Prepared by: Transparency International
• The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector
corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt,
and 100 is very clean.
• India was ranked 93 out of 180 countries on the CPI 2023. (India ranked 85 in 2022).
• India's score dropped only by one point from the previous year, settling at 39 on a scale of zero (highly
corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
• Over two-thirds of the countries scored below 50, which indicates that they were suffering from serious
corruption problems.

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX

Prepared by: Reporters Without Borders
Five contextual indicators are used to indicate a country’s score.
These include:
1. Political context
2. Legal framework
3. Economic context
4. Sociocultural context
5. Safety
• India ranked 161st among the 180 countries with a score of 36.62. In
2022, India’s rank was 150.
• Norway, Ireland and Denmark occupied the top three positions in
press freedom, while Vietnam, China and North Korea constituted
the bottom three.

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GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX (GHI)
Prepared by: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Concern Worldwide and
Welthungerhilfe
• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) was established in 2006.
• India ranks 111 out of 125 countries (2023) on the Global Hunger Index, which fares worse than all
South Asian countries except Afghanistan.
• GHI scores are based on a formula that combines four indicators:
1. Undernourishment - The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient.
2. Child wasting - The share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height,
reflecting acute undernutrition.
3. Child stunting – The share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age,
reflecting chronic undernutrition.
4. Child mortality – The share of children who die before their fifth birthday, reflecting in part the
fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX (CCPI)

Prepared by: German Watch + New Climate Institute + Climate Action Network
• The annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI),
published since 2005, is an independent monitoring tool for
tracking the climate protection performance of 63 countries
and the EU.
• The CCPI evaluates 63 countries and the European Union,
which together generate 90%+ of global greenhouse gas
emissions.
• Using standardized criteria, the CCPI looks at four categories,
with 14 indicators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (40% of the
overall score), Renewable Energy (20%), Energy Use (20%),
and Climate Policy (20%).

• No country performs well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating. The
first three overall positions therefore remain empty.
The results show that, even if all countries were as committed as the current frontrunners, efforts would still
be insufficient to prevent hazardous climate change

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• India - In the CCPI 2024, India stood at 7th out of 63, thanks to its low emissions and the increasing
use of renewable energy.
• India earned a high rating in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories, while it got a medium
rating in the Climate Policy and Renewable Energy sections.

INDIA INEQUALITY REPORT: Digital Divide

Prepared by: Oxfam India
The report, published in December 2022, emphasizes the impact of this ‘digital divide’ on the education,
health, and financial sectors in the country. The report analyses the primary data from the Centre for
Monitoring Indian Economy’s (CMIE) household survey held from Jan 2018 to Dec 2021.
• In Asia-Pacific, India fares the worst, with the widest gender gap of 40.4 per cent.
• Indian women are 15% less likely to own a mobile phone and 33% less likely to use mobile internet
services than men. Women constitute only one-third of internet users in India.
• Only 31% of the rural population uses the Internet compared to 67% of their urban counterparts.
• In rural India, the tendency to use formal financial services is lowest for ST households. This is followed
by SC households and OBC households.
• Among states, Maharashtra has the highest internet penetration. This is followed by Goa and Kerala,
while Bihar has the lowest, followed by Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
• As per the National Service Scheme [NSS (2017-18)], only about 9% of the students who were enrolled
in any course had access to a computer with internet. 25% of enrolled students had access to the internet
through any kind of device.

WORLD INEQUALITY REPORT

Prepared by: World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics
• It aims to promote research on global inequality dynamics. This report presents the most up-to-date
synthesis of international research efforts to track global inequalities.
• The poorest half of the global population “barely owns any wealth,” possessing just 2% of the total,
whereas the richest 10% of the global population own 76% of all wealth.
• Women’s share of total incomes from work (labour income) was about 30% in 1990 and is less than 35%
now.
• Inequalities within countries are now greater than those observed between countries.
• Over the past 40 years, countries have become significantly richer, but their governments have
become significantly poorer.

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GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX
Prepared by: ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU)
• The index quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle in 173 cities worldwide.
• It was given considering five metrics, namely healthcare, culture, environment, education, and
stability.
• This ranking offers insights into the cities that excel in providing an exceptional quality of life.
• Top cities to live: Vienna (Austria), Copenhagen (Denmark), Melbourne and Sydney (Australia)
• Bottom 3 Liveable cities: Algiers (Algeria), Tripoli (Libya) and Damascus (Syria)
• From Asia, Japan’s Osaka was ranked number 10 in the rankings
• New Delhi and Mumbai are at 141st position and Chennai at 144th. Ahmedabad and Bengaluru are
ranked 147 and 148, respectively.

REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRANSFERS

Prepared by: Stockholm
International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI)
• The global level of international
arms transfers decreased by
5.1%.
• Imports of major arms by
European states increased by
47% between 2013–17 and 2018–
22 in the backdrop of the war in
Ukraine.
• With an 11% share of total global
arms imports, India was the
world’s biggest importer of
major arms in 2018–22, a
position it held for the period
1993–2022.
• India remained the top importer
despite an 11% drop in its arms
import between 2013-17 and 2018-22.
• Russia was India’s largest arms supplier in the periods between 2013-17 and 2018-22, but its share of
arms imports to India fell from 64% to 45%.
• France emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to India between 2018-22 at 29%, followed by the
US at 11%.
• India also imported arms during these five years from Israel, South Korea, and South Africa, which are
among the top arms exporters globally.
• India was the third-largest arms supplier to Myanmar during this period after Russia and China and
comprised 14% of its imports.
○ 77% of Pakistan’s arms supply in 2018-22 came from China.

CLIMATE TRANSPARENCY REPORT

Prepared by: G20
• The Climate Transparency Report is an annual review of G20 countries’ climate action.
• It also tracks their transition to a net zero emissions economy.
• The report was developed by experts from 16 partner organizations, most of them from the G20
countries.
• The Climate Transparency Report 2022 report highlights the link between the climate emergency and
the energy crisis.

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Key Findings for India
• India’s total greenhouse gas emissions (excluding LULUCF) have increased by 182% (1990–2019).
○ The rise was largely due to a sustained increase in energy-related emissions.
■ LULUCF stands for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry.
• India’s per capita emissions (including LULUCF) are approximately 30% of the G20 average.
• India’s methane emissions (excl. LULUCF) increased by 10% between 1990–2019.
• India has the largest cattle population in the world (38%), and agricultural emissions are primarily
from the digestive processes and manure of livestock.
• India’s energy mix was still dominated by fossil fuels (74%) in 2021.
○ This is around 9% lower than the G20 average.
○ Increased energy supply was mainly driven by increased coal from 1990–2010.
• Emissions intensity in India in 2021 was 58 tCO2/TJ, almost the same as the G20 average.
○ Carbon intensity is a measure of how much CO2 is emitted per unit of energy supply.
• India is the third-largest producer of electricity after China and the US.
○ India’s electricity generation is dominated by coal, around 72% in 2021.
• Between 2017 to 2021, the average summer temperatures experienced by people in India were 0.4°C
higher than the 1986–2005 average global mean temperature increase of 0.3°C.
• India suffered an income loss of $159 billion, 5.4% of its gross domestic product, in the service,
manufacturing, agriculture, and construction sectors due to extreme heat in 2021.
• Indian rice production could decrease by 10–30%, and maize production could drop by 25–70% with
temperature increases in a range of 1°C–4°C.

WORLD AIR QUALITY REPORT

Prepared by: Swiss organisation IQAir
• The report ranked India as the world's third most polluted country. 9 out of the top 10 most polluted
cities in the world are from India.
• It has an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3).
• India's air quality deteriorated compared to the previous year
• Delhi emerged as the world's most polluted capital city for the fourth consecutive time.
○ Begusarai in Bihar is labelled as the world's most polluted city.
○ This was with an average PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 (µg/m3).
• Around 136 million Indians (96% of the Indian population) face PM2.5 concentrations (seven times)
higher than the World Health Organization's recommended levels of 5 (µg/m3).
• PM2.5 pollution, primarily from burning fossil fuels, is linked to increased rates of heart attack, stroke,
and oxidative stress, with severe health implications.

24
GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX
Prepared by: Cornell University, INSEAD & WIPO
● Switzerland has retained its spot of rank 1 for the 13th year. Sweden is now in the second spot
followed by the United States in third. The United Kingdom is fourth and Singapore enters the top 5
at the fifth position.
● China is in the 12th place, followed by Japan at number 13. China is the only middle-income country
in the top 30.
● The GII listed India as among the 21 economies that outperformed for a 13th consecutive year on
innovation relative to the level of development.
● India achieved a rank of 40 in GII 2023. This is the top spot among central and south Asian countries.
● India leads the lower middle-income group, performing strongly in every innovation pillar except for
Infrastructure.

INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT

Prepared by: Forest Survey of India
• ISFR is an assessment of India’s forest and tree cover.
• ISFR is published every two years (biennial) by the Forest Survey of India.
• The first survey was published in 1987, and ISFR 2021 is the 17th one.
• The term 'Forest Cover' refers to all tree patches that have a canopy density of more than 10% and area
of one hectare or more in size, irrespective of land use, legal status and ownership.
○ It may include orchards, bamboo, and palms etc. and is assessed through remote sensing.
• Three categories of forests are surveyed –
1. Very dense forests (canopy density over 70%),
2. Moderately dense forests (40-70%), and
3. Open forests (10-40%).
• Scrubs (canopy density less than 10%) are also surveyed but not categorized as forests.
• Apart from them non-forest areas are also surveyed.
Data Points

• ISFR 2021 has found that the forest and tree cover in the country continues to increase.
• Apart from this, there is an additional cover of 1,540 square kilometres over the past two years.
• India’s forest cover is now 7,13,789 square kilometres which is 21.71% of the country’s geographical
area. This is an increase from 21.67% in 2019.
• The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.9 million hectare which is 24.62 percent of the
geographical area of the country.
• As compared to the assessment of 2019, there is an increase of 2,261 sq km in the total forest and
tree cover of the country. Out of this, the increase in the forest cover has been observed as 1,540 sq
km and that in tree cover is 721 sq km.
• The Tree cover has increased by 721 sq km.
• Top three states showing an increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) followed by
Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km).
• Area-wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country, followed by Arunachal
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. In terms of forest cover as a percentage of total
geographical area, the top five States are Mizoram (84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya
(76.00%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%).
• Five states in the Northeast have all shown loss in forest cover which include Arunachal Pradesh,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland
• Mangroves have shown an increase of 17 sq km.
○ India’s total mangrove cover is now 4,992 sq km.
• The survey has found that 35.46 % of the forest cover is prone to forest fires. Out of this, 2.81 % is
extremely prone to forest fires.

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• The total carbon stock in country’s forests is estimated at 7,204 million tonnes.
○ This is an increase of 79.4 million tonnes since 2019.
• Bamboo forests have grown from 13,882 million culms (stems) in 2019 to 53,336 million culms in
2021.
• It has for the first time assessed forest cover in tiger reserves, tiger corridors and the Gir forest
which houses the Asiatic lion.
• The forest cover in tiger corridors has increased by 37.15 sq km (0.32%) between 2011-2021
○ But there has been a decrease by 22.6 sq km (0.04%) in tiger reserves
• Forest cover has increased in 20 tiger reserves in these 10 years and decreased in 32.
• Buxa, Anamalai and Indravati reserves have shown an increase in forest cover.
○ The highest losses have been found in Kawal, Bhadra and the Sunderbans reserves.
• Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh has the highest forest cover, at nearly 97%.
The report estimates that by 2030, 45-64% of forests in India will experience the effects of climate
change and rising temperatures, and forests in all states (except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Nagaland) will be highly vulnerable climate hot spots. Ladakh (forest cover 0.1-0.2%) is likely to be
the most affected.

26
REPORT ON THE STATUS OF LEOPARD IN INDIA
Prepared by: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) + Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
• India's leopard population is estimated at 13,874 individuals, representing a stable population in
comparison to the similar area being sampled in 2018 with 12852 individuals.
• Central India shows a stable or slightly growing population of leopards, Shivalik hills, and Gangetic
plains experienced decline. In Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains, there is a 3.4% decline per annum,
while the largest growth rate was in Central India and Eastern Ghats of 1.5%.
• Tiger Reserves or sites with the highest leopard population are, Nagarajunasagar Srisailam (Andhra
Pradesh), followed by Panna (Madhya Pradesh), and Satpura (Madhya Pradesh).
• About 65% of the leopard population is present outside protected areas in the Shivalik landscape.
• Only about a third of the leopards are within protected areas.
• Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of leopards (3,907), followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka,
and Tamil Nadu.
○ In Odisha, the number of leopards dropped from 760 in 2018 to 562 in 2022, and in Uttarakhand, the
population declined from 839 in 2018 to 652 in 2022.
○ Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Goa too reported population declines.

STATE OF INDIA’S ENVIRONMENT REPORT

Prepared by: Down to Earth + Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
• State of India’s Environment Report 2023 was launched by the Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE) and DTE (Down to Earth) magazine, covering areas ranging from climate change, agriculture,
and industry to water, plastics, forests, and biodiversity.
• The report is the annual publication focusing on climate change, migration, health, and food systems.
• It also covers biodiversity, forest and wildlife, energy, industry, habitat, pollution, waste, agriculture,
and rural development.
• CSE is a public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi.
• According to the report high number of states have slipped in their performance of SDGs 4, 8, 9, 10 and
15. These numbers refer to the Goals on quality education; decent work and economic growth; industry,
innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; and life on land, respectively.

27
NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY (NFHS)
Prepared by: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
• The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a
representative sample of households throughout India. Five rounds of the survey have been conducted
since the first survey in 1992-93.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has designated the International Institute for
Population Sciences(IIPS), Mumbai, as the nodal agency for providing coordination and technical
guidance for the survey.
• The survey provides state and national information for India on: Fertility, Infant and child mortality,
family planning, Maternal and child health, Reproductive health, Nutrition, Anaemia, Utilization and
quality of health.
• The funding for different rounds of NFHS has been provided by USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, UNICEF, UNFPA, and MoHFW (Government of India).

Sl. NFHS-5 NFHS-4

No. Indicator (2019-21) (2015-16)

1 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 2.0 2.2

2 Institutional births (%) 88.6 78.9

3 Neonatal Mortality Rate (NNMR) 24.9 29.5

4 Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) 35.2 40.7

5 Under-five Mortality Rate (U5MR) 41.9 49.7

6 Sex ratio of the total population (females per 1,000 1020 991
males)

7 Sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five 929 919
years (females per 1,000 males)

Unlike in previous rounds, NFHS-6 will adopt the Urban Frame Survey (UFS, 2012-17) of NSO, MoSPI
as a sampling frame for urban areas. This strategy will minimize the non-sampling errors to large extent
as the boundary identification problems using 2011 census frame will be resolved. While for rural areas,
an updated list of villages from NSO will be used as a frame, which will be matched with the PCA from
the Census to get auxiliary information.

PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY (PLFS)

Prepared by: National Statistical Office (NSO)
• This survey is conducted by the National Sample Survey (NSO), working under the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). It was launched in April 2017.
• The objective of PLFS is primarily:
1. To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators in a short time interval of three
months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS). These indicators include:
a. Worker Population Ratio (WPR)

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 b. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)
c. Unemployment Rate (UR)
2. To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ and CWS in both
rural and urban areas annually.
• Key findings:
○ In rural areas, LFPR increased from 50.7% in 2017-18 to 60.8% in 2022-23, while for urban areas it
increased from 47.6% to 50.4%.
○ LFPR for males in India increased from 75.8% in 2017-18 to 78.5% in 2022-23, and a corresponding
increase in LFPR for females was from 23.3% to 37.0%.
○ In rural areas, WPR increased from 48.1% in 2017-18 to 59.4% in 2022-23 while for urban areas, it
increased from 43.9% to 47.7%.
○ WPR for males in India increased from 71.2% in 2017-18 to 76.0% in 2022-23, and a corresponding
increase in WPR for females was from 22.0% to 35.9%.
○ In rural areas, UR decreased from 5.3% in 2017-18 to 2.4% in 2022-23, while for urban areas, it
decreased from 7.7% to 5.4%.
○ UR for males in India decreased from 6.1% in 2017-18 to 3.3% in 2022-23, and the corresponding
decrease in UR for females was from 5.6% to 2.9%.

TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Prepared by: Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF)
• The BRLF was set up by the Union Cabinet in 2013 as an independent society. It functions under the
Union Ministry of Rural Development. It aims to scale up civil society action in partnership with central
and state governments.
Key Findings
• India’s tribal communities form 8.6% of the country’s population, according to the Census 2011.
However, they are at the bottom of the country’s development pyramid even after 75 years of
independence.
• Geographically, Central India is home to 80% of the tribal communities in the country.
• Of the 257 Scheduled Tribe districts, 230 (90%) are either forested or hilly or dry. But they account
for 80 % of India’s tribal population.

GROSS DOMESTIC CLIMATE RISK REPORT

Prepared by: Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI)
• XDI is a global organisation specialising in climate risk analysis for regions, banks and companies. The
index calculated the ‘Physical climate risk’ to built environments such as buildings and properties
across 2,600 States and provinces globally in 2050.
• The index assigned an Aggregated Damage Ratio (ADR) to each region, which signifies the total
amount of damage a region’s built environment would sustain in 2050. A high ADR signifies more
peril.
• According to the Gross Domestic Climate Risk ranking by Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI), India
has nine states in the 50 high-risk states including Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala and Assam.
Key findings
• Risk originates from 7 climate change Hazards including Riverine and surface flooding, Coastal
inundation (coastal flooding), Extreme heat, Forest fire, Soil movement (drought-related), Extreme
wind and Freeze-thaw.
• Global Impact: Riverine and coastal flooding is the biggest threat to built infrastructure globally.
• Increased Risk: Under high-emission scenarios, high-risk areas could see a staggering 110% increase
in flood damage by 2050.
• India's Vulnerability: If global warming isn't controlled, climate-vulnerable states in India could lose
over 10% of their GDP.

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• Indian States at Risk: Bihar, Assam, and Tamil Nadu are currently most affected, with Assam projected
to see a 330% increase in climate risk by 2050.
• Maharashtra's Challenges: 11 districts in Maharashtra face a high risk of extreme weather, droughts,
and water insecurity.

MUNICIPAL BOND INDEX

Prepared by: NSE Indices Ltd
• It is India’s first-ever municipal bond index. The index tracks the performance of municipal bonds
issued by Indian municipal corporations. This tracking is done across maturities and has investment-
grade credit ratings.
• The index includes municipal bonds issued as per the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Issue
and Listing of Municipal Debt Securities Regulations, 2015.
• Currently, the index has 28 municipal bonds issued by 10 issuers. All of these have credit ratings in
the AA category.
• The index constituents are assigned weights based on their outstanding amount.
• The index is computed using the total return methodology, including price and coupon returns.
• The index has a base date of January 01, 2021. The base value for the index is 1000. The index will be
reviewed quarterly.
• It will act as a benchmark for passive funds, providing more investment choices to fixed-income
investors and creating an impetus for asset managers to consider investing in such bonds.

CRIME IN INDIA REPORT

Prepared by: National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
• Crimes against Women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), children, cyber crimes and
anti-state crimes increased in 2022 compared to 2021.
• The number of registered cases of crimes against women increased in 2022 compared to 2021.
○ “Cruelty of the husband or his relatives” (31.4%) was recorded in the majority of cases, followed by
“rape and robbery of women” (19.2). %, “attack on women with the aim of inciting a woman’s
submissive rage” (18.7%) and “rape” (7.1%).
• The registration of crimes against children increased by 8.7% compared to 2021.
• A total of 30,555 youth cases were registered during 2022, a 2.0 per cent decrease from 2021.
• In 2022, 64.8% of recorded cybercrime incidents were due to fraud, followed by extortion at 5.5% and
sexual abuse at 5.2%.
• A total of 65,893 cases of cybercrime were registered, which is 24.4% more than in 2021.
• According to the report, case registrations decreased by 4.5% compared to 2021.
• The cities with the highest number of prosecutions under IPC offences are Kochi (95.9%), Patna (89.9%)
and Kozhikode (89.4%).
• The highest number of theft cases were reported in Delhi. This was followed by Mumbai, Jaipur and
Bengaluru.
• Delhi is the country’s most unsafe city for women. It recorded an average of three rapes every day.

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL RANKING FRAMEWORK

Prepared by: Ministry of Education
• The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
was launched on 29th September 2015. It is a
methodology adopted by the Ministry of Education to
rank institutions of higher education in India.
• Currently, the NIRF releases rankings across various
categories: ‘Overall’, ‘Research Institutions’,
‘Universities’, and ‘Colleges’, and specific disciplines
like engineering, management, pharmacy, law, etc.

30
• The ranking framework judges these educational institutions under five broad generic groups of
parameters:
1. Teaching, Learning, and Resources (TLR) (30% weightage),
2. Research and Professional Practice (RP) (30% weightage),
3. Graduation Outcomes (GO) (20% weightage),
4. Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) (10% weightage) and
5. Perception (PR) (10% weightage).
• Academic communities have had concerns about the construction of these indicators, the transparency
of the methods used, and the overall framework.
• An important part of it is focused on the research and professional practices part of the evaluation
because they pay a lot of attention to bibliometric measures.

EASE OF LIVING INDEX

Prepared by: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
• The Ease of Living Index (EoLI) is a tool for assessing the quality of life and the impact of various urban
development efforts. It is released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• It was created after incorporating findings from the previous study and broadening its reach to
reinforce its framework by incorporating the Municipal Performance Index.
• The main objectives of the Ease of Living Index are as follows:
○ Initiate action to achieve broader developmental results, including the Sustainable Development
Goals.
○ Gather data to inform evidence-based policymaking.
○ Evaluate and compare the effects of various urban policies and programs.
○ Obtain citizens’ perceptions of the services offered by the city government and use this as a
foundation for
communication
between them.
• The Ease of Living
Index assesses the
well-being of Indian
inhabitants in 111
cities based on four
parameters:
○ Quality of Life
○ Economic Ability
○ Sustainability
○ Inhabitants
Perception Survey
• In total, 49 indicators
were studied in over
14 categories.

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SWACHH SURVEKSHAN REPORT
Prepared by: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
• Swachh Survekshan, conducted by MoHUA since 2016, is the world’s largest urban sanitation and
cleanliness survey. It has been instrumental in fostering a spirit of healthy competition among towns
and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens and towards creating cleaner cities.
• It is an annual survey conducted under the ambit of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
• The top spot for the cleanest city in the country was shared by two cities, Indore (which is bagging the
spot for the sixth consecutive year) and Surat.
• In the category of cities with a population of less than 1 lakh, Sasvad, Patan, and Lonavala secured the
top three spots.
• The award for the Cleanest Cantonment Board went to Mhow Cantonment Board in Madhya Pradesh.
• Varanasi and Prayagraj won the top two awards for the Cleanest Ganga Towns.
• The top three spots for the best-performing states went to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and
Chhattisgarh.
• The best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher award was bagged by Chandigarh.

SDG INDIA INDEX

Prepared by: NITI Aayog
• The SDG India Index was developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India.
• The NITI Aayog launched its index in 2018.
• It aims to monitor the country’s progress on the goals through data-driven assessment and foster a
competitive spirit among the States and Union Territories in achieving them.
• NITI Aayog has the twin mandate to oversee the adoption and monitoring of the SDGs in the country,
and also promote competitive and cooperative federalism among States and UTs.
• Methodology
○ The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and Union
Territory.
○ These scores range between 0–100, and if a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has
achieved the 2030 targets.
○ States and Union Territories are classified into four categories based on their SDG India Index score:
■ Aspirant (0–49)
■ Performer (50–64)

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 ■ Front-Runner (65–99)
■ Achiever (100)

INDIA INNOVATION INDEX

Prepared by: NITI Aayog + the Institute for Competitiveness.
• It is a comprehensive tool for the evaluation and development of the country’s innovation ecosystem.
• It ranks the states and the union territories on their innovation performance to build healthy
competition amongst them.
• It is released by the NITI Aayog with the Institute for Competitiveness.
• Indicators Used:
○ There are seven pillars in the index - five ‘Enabler’ pillars measure the inputs and two
‘Performance’ pillars measure the output.
○ The indicators that the survey uses include the level and quality of education and parameters such
as: Number of PhD students and knowledge-intensive employment, Enrolment in engineering and
technology and several highly skilled professionals, Investment in R&D and number of patents and
trademark applications filed, Internet subscribers and FDI inflows, business environment, and safety
and legal environment.

NATIONAL AIR QUALITY INDEX

Prepared by: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
• It was launched in India in 2014.
• AQI keeps a tab on eight major air pollutants in the atmosphere, namely,
1. Particulate Matter (PM10) 2. Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

3. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) 4. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

5. Carbon Monoxide (CO) 6. Ozone (O3)

7. Ammonia (NH3) 8. Lead (Pb)

• The National Air Quality Index was launched in 2014 to measure air quality in terms of six categories:

33
 Good Satisfactory Moderately Polluted

Poor Very Poor Severe

• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has developed this Air Quality Index in consultation with IIT-
Kanpur and air quality professionals and experts.
• The states/cities are categorized in the range of 0-500 to measure their air quality.

GREENEX CARBON INDEX

Prepared by: Bombay Stock Exchange
• This is a benchmark index and the first of its kind. It evaluates the carbon performance of stocks using
only quantitative performance-based criteria.
• It is a fundamental step in developing an open, market-based system for encouraging energy-efficient
practices among India's more significant corporate entities.
• It employs sector-specific proprietary algorithms developed in cutting-edge research facilities to assess
the energy efficiency performance of various companies based on publicly available energy and
financial data.
• India's energy efficiency ranks fifth lowest globally. This indicates that India's GDP energy
consumption ratio is extremely low.
• India's primary energy demand increased from roughly 450 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2000 to
about 770 million in 2012.
• According to estimates from the International Energy Agency and the Integrated Energy Policy
Report, this will rise to between 1250 million tonnes and 1500 million tonnes by 2030.

FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT

Prepared by: RBI
• It is released twice a year by RBI and offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Indian financial system’s
resilience and potential risks.
• The report, based on the findings of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development
Council (FSDC), sheds light on both global and domestic economic conditions.
Key Highlights:
• Scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) showcase strength with a Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio
(CRAR) of 16.8% and a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 13.7% in September 2023.
• SCBs’ Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio hits a multi-year low at 3.2%, with Net Non-
Performing Assets (NNPA) at 0.8% in September 2023.
• Stress tests project SCBs’ compliance with minimum capital requirements, projecting a system-level
CRAR of 14.8%, 13.5%, and 12.2% in September 2024 under baseline, medium, and severe stress
scenarios.
• NBFC sector resilience improved with a CRAR of 27.6%, a GNPA ratio of 4.6%, and a Return on Assets
(ROA) at 2.9% in September 2023.
• High-risk stress scenarios in the NBFC sector warrant monitoring due to increased inter-bank exposure,
although system failure is not anticipated.
• Credit growth remains robust, and deposit growth gains momentum in the Indian financial system.
• NBFCs contribute significantly to credit growth, particularly in personal loans and loans to the
industry, with improved asset quality.

FINANCIAL INCLUSION INDEX

Prepared by: RBI
• The financial inclusion index is conceptualized as a comprehensive index incorporating details of
banking, investments, insurance, postal as well as the pension sector in consultation with the
government and respective sectoral regulators.

34
• It was developed by the RBI in 2021.
• It does not have any ‘base year' and is published in July every year.
• The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging
between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial
inclusion.
• It is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of services, consisting
of 97 indicators.
• It comprises three broad parameters (weights indicated in brackets) viz., Access (35%), Usage (45%),
and Quality (20%), with each of these consisting of various dimensions, which are computed based on
several indicators.
• The Financial Inclusion (FI) Index has shown significant improvement, reaching a score of 60.1 in March
2023, compared to its previous reading of 56.4 in March 2022.

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