CSB IAS ACADEMY

Indices – Reports
'Uttar Pradesh emerges top gaming destination'
• Report by: Mobile Premier League (Bengaluru,Karnataka)
• India's gaming market will reach $8.6 billion by 2027, as per India Mobile Gaming
Report 2022.
• India's gaming market was worth $2.6 billion in the financial year 2022 and it will
reach $8.6 billion by 2027 with a compounded annual growthrate of 27%.
HIGHEST SHARES OF GAMERS
• Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Allahabad
• Maharashtra: Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and Nashik Rajasthan: Jaipur,
Jodhpur, Udaipur, Alwar and Kota
• Bihar: Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur
• West Bengal: Kolkata, Midnapore, Murshidabad, Howrah and Darjeeling
People aged 65+ worldwide to more than double from 761 mn in 2021 to 1.6 bn
in 2050: UN
• The United Nations (UN) in its World Social Report 2023 projected that the
number of people aged 65 years or older worldwide will more than double from
761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050.
• It is published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2023
• Wetlands International's largest annual water bird census named "Asian Water
Bird Census" (AWC) 2023" began on January 7,2023, across Asia and Australasia
simultaneously and will conclude on January 22,2023.
• About AWC:
• AWC (started in 1987) is part of the International Waterbird census coordinated
by Wetland International
• In India, AWC is coordinated by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)
(founded in 1883. an NGO) and Wetland International (NGO).
• Significance: AWC supports the conservation of wetlands and water birds
worldwide. AWC data is used to promote national water bird and wetland
conservation and for other initiatives such as:
• Waterbird Population Estimates Programme (WI)
• Global Species Programme (Red List,by IUCN)
• Important Bird Area Programme (BirdLife international)
• Bonn Convention (for Migratory Species)
• Central Asian flyway Action plan
Japan has world's most powerful passport. Here's where India stands, 85th
• India was ranked at the 85th position, along with Mauritania and Uzbekistan,
among 199 countries in a list of the world’s most powerful passports, said a
report published.
• This Index is Released by London based Henley & Partners company
 • Top countries: Japan, Singapore, South Korea are Top and Performing Countries

Global Sea Level Rose by 4.5 mm per year during 2013-22 period: WMO
According to the World Meteorological Department (WMO), Global mean sea level rose
by 4.5 millimeters (mm) per year during the period 2013- 22. WMO stated that Human
influence played a maior role in the increases in sea levels since 1971.
Rise in Sea Level:
i.Global mean sea level increased by 0.20 m between 1901 and 2018 and the average
rate of sea level rise was 1.3 mm per year between 1901 and 1971, 1.9 mm per year
between 1971 and 2006, and 3.7 mm per year between 2006 and 2018
ii. Since 1900, the sea level has been increasing faster than any preceding century in the
past 3000 years.
ili. Since the end of the last deglacial transition (around 11000 years ago), the
temperature of the global oceans has increased faster in the past century.

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2022/2023 Global Report

India ranks 4th among 51 Countries in having Quality Entrepreneurship Ecosystem:
GEM NECI 2022/2023 Report
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and National
Entrepreneurship Context Index"s (NECI) report titled 'Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor 2022/2023 Global Report Adapting to a "New Normal" India is ranked 4th out
of 51 nations in terms ofhaving a high- quality entrepreneurial ecosystem.

OECD’s Services Trade Restrictiveness Index- 2022

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) –Paris.
India’s position 47th for the year 2022 (46th position in the year 2021)
This year STRI covered around 50 countries. Japan was ranked topmost. It was followed
by UK, Netherlands, Czech, and Chile in second, third, fourth, and fifth places
respectively. The countries in the bottommost spots were Indonesia (at the 50th spot),
Thailand (49), Russia (48), and India (47).

Over one lakh wage earners committed suicide in three years: Centre
More than one lakh daily wage earners have committed suicide in three years. Apart
from agricultural labourers, the self-employed, small employees and the unemployed
are included in this list. The central government itself has stated this. Union Labor
Minister Bhupender Yadav said this during the question-and-answer session in the Lok
Sabha. He revealed the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). A total
of 1.12 lakh daily wage earners from the unorganized sector committed suicide in the
three years from 2019 to 2021. In this, 66,912 are housewives, 53,661 are self-
employed, 43,420 are underemployed and 43,385 are unemployed. In these three years,
31,839 farmers, agricultural laborers and 35,950 students committed suicide.

Mumbai Overtakes Delhi as the Most Polluted City in India

According to the Swiss Air Tracking Index IQAir, a real-time air quality monitor,
Mumbai has been ranked as the most polluted city in India and the second most
polluted city globally in a week between January 29 and February 8. On January 29,
Mumbai was ranked 10th in the poorest rankings. On February 2, Mumbai finished
second in the following days. On February 8, it again reached the second position. On
February 13, Mumbai occupied Delhi as the most polluted city in India and became the
third most unhealthy city globally in terms of air quality globally.

The Global Quality Infrastructure Index

The Global Quality Infrastructure Index was released for 184 world economies based on
the quality of their infrastructure. India was ranked fifth. The standardization ranking
was at the spot and the credit goes to BIS. The metrology system was ranked 21st and
NPL-CSIR takes the credit. The overall good infrastructure quality of India is being
maintained by the Quality Council of India and therefore, the council takes pride in
bringing India to the top of the ranking.
Rankings of the other countries
• Germany topped the list. It was followed by China, the US, the UK, Japan, and
France in the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth positions respectively.
• The rankings are calculated based on the standards, metrology and accreditation.
QCI:
• It was established in 1997 by DPIIT. The major boards of QCI are NABCB and
NABL. NABCB is National Accreditation Board for Certification
• Bodies. NABL is National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration
Laboratories.

India's rank in aviation safety jumps from 112thto55th

India has improved its rank from 112th position to 55th position in aviation safety
monitoring ranking. DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) stated that this score
was obtained as part of the Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) organized by ICAO
(International Civil Aviation Organization). ICVM was held on November 9-12,
2022. 'After the final report, India's rank in safety monitoring capacity has reached 55
from 112', DGCA announced. This rank is given on the basis of 137 factors.

By 2025, half of the world's electricity will be consumed in Asia

The International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that ASEAN alone consumes half of the
world's electricity. Asia will achieve this feat in 2025 for the first time in history, the IEA
announced in its Future Forecast report released. The report states that China uses
more electricity than the European Union, the United States and India combined. By that
time, Africa, which will be home to one-fifth of the world's population, will consume
only three percent of the world's electricity due to lack of infrastructure, IEA has
estimated. The report said that due to the significant increase in the use of nuclear and
non-conventional energy sources in electricity generation, air pollution will be reduced
to that extent. The report makes it clear that to meet the target of limiting temperature
rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the use of non-conventional resources will need to
increase. It warned the government leaders to understand the fact that electricity
generation and supply is dependent on climate change. Last year, hot winds and
drought conditions occurred in Europe, India, Central and Eastern China, while cold
winds created problems in America, IEA revealed. It reminded that the power
generation and supply systems faced serious problems in those situations.

175 deaths in police custody for the year 2021-22

Government statistics state that police custody deaths are increasing in the
country. Union Minister of State for Home Nithyanand Roy briefed Parliament about
deaths in police custody citing data provided by the National Human Rights
Commission. He said that 669 deaths have taken place in police custody in the last five
years.
If we go into details... more than 650 people have died in police custody in India in the
last five years. To this extent, the Union Home Ministry has given a written reply to the
Parliament. Union Minister of State for Home Nithyananda Roy told the Rajya Sabha that
a total of 669 deaths in police custody have been recorded across the country in the last
five years. These deaths occurred from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2022. Minister
Nithyananda Roy shared this information in the House citing data provided by the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

India ranks 1/110 nations for Inclusivity Measures towards Religious Minorities:
Global Minority Report
• As per the Centre for Policy Analysis' (CPA) inaugural assessment on global
minorities in its' Global Minority Report', India has been ranked one among 110
nations for its inclusivity measures towards religious minorities. India has the
highest level of religious minorities' acceptance.
• India is followed by South Korea, Japan, Panama, and the United States (US) at
the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions respectively.
• The report, released by former Vice President (VP) of India Venkaiah Naidu in
November 2022, is based on conceptual issues relating to human rights,
minorities, the concept of religious freedom and cultural dilemma of religious
minorities, causes of religious differences and more.

World Happiness Index 2023

The World Happiness Index 2023 Report will mark its tenth anniversary with this
year's Globe Happiness Reflect, which uses data from international surveys to show
how people rank their lives in more than 150 countries.
World Happiness Index 2023: Key Highlights
Finland was named the world’s happiest country for the fifth year in a row, according to
the World Happiness Report.
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network of the UN has published a new report,
which was made public two days prior to the yearly International Day of Happiness.
It rates 150 countries (146 in 2023) based on factors such as GDP, life expectancy, and
other indicators of quality of life.
The ranking, now in its eleventh year, assigns a score between 0 and 10 based on an
average of data gathered over three years and a mathematical formula.
According to a yearly UN survey released, Russia is not having a happy year as it drops
in the global happiness rankings again this year.

Voters in the country

Since 1951, the number of voters in the country has increased almost six times to 94.50
crore. As it was found that about 30 crore people did not exercise their right to vote in
the last Lok Sabha elections, the Central Election Commission (ECI) is working to bring
them to the polling booths in the future. Those who did not vote included city and town
people, youth and migrants. The Election Commission has once again mentioned the
apathy of the urban people in exercising their right to vote in the recently held assembly
elections of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh states. ECI aims to increase voter turnout in
the upcoming elections through innovative methods.

India ranked 7th biggest nation ready to adopt crypto in 2023

• According to Hedge with Crypto research, India emerged as 7th biggest nation
ready to adopt crypto in 2023.
• Australia is the biggest country when it comes to the adoption of cryptocurrency
in 2023 with a score of 7.37 out of 10.
• The sale of cryptocurrency and other digital assets is legal and regulated in
Australia.
• Following this, USA ranks as the second biggest country in crypto adoption with
a score of 7.07 out of 10. Currently, there 33,630 crypto ATMs throughout the
country.

RTI released data, 60% of Voters linked Aadhaar to voter ID

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), more than 60% of India's 94.5
crore voters have connected their Aadhaar numbers to their voter IDs.
There are 56,90,83,090 voters who are linked to their Aadhaar overall.

Every 2 Minutes, A Woman Dies During Pregnancy or Childbirth: WHO Report

• According to the report titled "Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020"
produced by World Health Organization (WHO), which tracks maternal deaths
nationally, regionally and globally from 2000 to 2020, it was estimated that
around 287 000 women died from a maternal cause in 2020, which is
approximately 800 deaths every day and one every 2 minutes.
• The report highlights the setbacks for women's health in recent years. The Rate
of maternal deaths fell significantly between 2000 and 2015 but largely
stagnated between 2016 and 2020 in nearly all regions of the world.
 • The report was produced on behalf of the United Nations Maternal Mortality
Estimation Inter- Agency Group comprising WHO, the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank
Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA).
• According to the report, the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has dropped
by 34.3% (one-third) over a period of 20 years. The Global MMR dropped from
330 deaths per 100000 live births in 2000 to 227 in 2015 to 223 in 2020.

International IP Index 2023

International IP Index: India ranked 42 in 55 countries. India has ranked 42nd among
55 leading global economies on the International IP Index released by the U.S. Chambers
of Commerce. The United States ranks first in the 2023 index, followed by the UK and
France.

ILO-UNICEF Report: 'PM CARES for Children Scheme' Implemented by 31 Indian

States.
The second ILO-UNICEF (International Labour Organization - United Nations
International Children's Emergency Fund) joint report on social protection for children
titled 'More than a billion reasons: The urgent need to build universal social protection
for children' was released on March 01, 2023.
As per the report, 31 Indian states have implemented the national 'PM CARES (Prime
Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) for Children scheme,
which was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on 29th May 2021.Around 10,793 full orphans (children who have lost both parents)
and 151,322 half-orphans (children who have lost one parent) benefited from the
scheme.

V-Dem's Democracy Report 2023: India Ranks

108th on EDI & 97th on LDI According to the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute's
report titled, "Democracy Report 2023: Defiance in the Face of Autocratization," India
has been ranked 97th in the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) (2022) and 108th in the
Electoral Democracy Index (EDI) (2022).
According to the report, India is falling behind and comes under the category of
"Electoral Autocracies."
Change over: In the previous year's report of 'Democracy Report 2022:
AutocratisationChanging Nature' India's LDI and EDI rank were about 93 (2021) and
100 (2021) respectively.
About the V-Dem Institute:
The V-Dem Institute is an independent research institute founded by Professor Staffan I.
Lindberg that studies the qualities of government.
Founded - 2014
Headquarters - Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, Tehri top landslide index: ISRO report
Rudraprayag and Tehri the two districts in Uttarakhand are facing the highest risk of
landslides, according to satellite data collected over the past two decades.Data collected
by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has highlighted that Rudra prayag
and Tehri Garhwal are at the highest risk of facing landslides, having seen the highest
number of landslide incidents in the past 20 years.

Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2022

As per the report "Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2022" released by Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) (a Swedish think tank), India continued
to remain the world's top arms importer for the five ears between 2018 and 2022
despite 11% decline in its imports of arms between 2013-2017 to 2018-2022.
Russia was India's largest arms supplier in both 2013-17 and 2018-22, however, its
share of overall Indian arms imports declined from 64% to 45%, with France emerging
as the second largest supplier between 2018-22.
Key Highlights with respect to India. According to SIPRI data, among the top 10 arms
exporters for the period 2018 - 22, India was the largest arms export market to three
nations: Russia, France, and Israel and the second largest export market to South Korea.
South Africa, which was ranked 21st in the list of arm exporters, also found India to be
its third-largest market.
India's top three import sources were Russia (45%), France (29%) and the United
States (US) (11%).

IQAir World Air Quality Report 2022 (5th Edition): Lahore Is Most Polluted City,
Chad Worst Among Countries
According to the 5th edition of the annual global survey report of IQAir, 'World Air
Quality Report 2022', Lahore (Pakistan), become the city with the worst air in the world
in 2022, (up from 15th in 2021). Chad in central Africa replaced Bangladesh as the
country with the most polluted air in 2022 with PM2.5 levels of 89.7 g/m3 (micrograms
per cubic meter).
The amount of PM2.5 (Particulate Matter 2.5) particles per cubic meter in the air in
Lahore increased from 86.5 g/m3 in 2021 to 97.4 pg/m3 in 2022, making it the most
polluted city on earth.
Although India has some of the world's most polluted cities, it ranks 8th in the 2022
report with PM2.5 levels of 53.3 Mg/m3 (from 58.1 ug/m3 in 2021)
i.Chad (89.7 g /m3) in central Africa exceeds the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline by more
than 17 times. it.
ii.lraq (80.1 mg /m3) exceeded the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline by more than 16 times.
iii. Pakistan (70.9 g /m3) has a PM2.5 level that is more than 14 times higher than the
WHO annual guideline.

AP is number 1 in egg production

Andhra Pradesh ranked first and Telangana ranked third in egg production. The 'Animal
Husbandry Basic Statistics-2022' report released on Wednesday by the Union Animal
Husbandry Minister Purushottam Rupa revealed that 20.41% of the total eggs produced
in the country come from AP and 12.86% from Telangana. Accordingly, milk production
in the country has reached 221.06 million tonnes in 2021-22. It registered an annual
growth of 5.29%. In this regard, Rajasthan (15.05%), Uttar Pradesh (14.93%), Madhya
Pradesh (8.06%), Gujarat (7.56%), Andhra Pradesh (6.97%) occupied the first 5
positions.
Egg production registered an annual growth of 6.19%. 129.60 billion eggs were
produced in the country in 2021-22. In this, Andhra Pradesh (20.41%), Tamil Nadu
(16.08%), Telangana (12.86%), West Bengal (8.84%), Karnataka (6.38%) occupied the
top 5 positions.
9.29 million tonnes of meat produced in the country in 2021-22 with an annual growth
of 5.62%. Maharashtra (12.25%), Uttar Pradesh (12.14%), West Bengal (11.63%),
Andhra Pradesh (11.04%), Telangana (10.82%) occupied the top five positions.
In 2021-22, 444 grams of milk was available per capita per day. The per capita
availability has increased by 17 grams compared to the previous year. Availability of
eggs per capita increased from 90 to 95. Per capita availability of meat increased by 0.30
kg to 6.82 kg.

Millions of Indian elderly suffer from dementia

More than one crore Indians aged sixty and above are currently suffering from
dementia, a new study has found. It is said that their share in the total population may
be up to 8.44%. By 2050- the number of people above 60 years of age is likely to
increase to 19.1% of the country's population. A recent study underlines the need to
focus on dementia prevention in this context. It is said that 8.8% of the elderly in
America and 9% in Britain suffer from it. Details of the study were published in the
journal Neuroepidemiology. Dementia causes a decline in memory, thinking, and
decision-making abilities.

Singapore Changi Airport has been named the "World's Best Airport" in 2023
Singapore Changi Airport has been named the "World's Best Airport" in 2023 at the
World Airport Awards 2023 ceremony held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Amsterdam,
Netherlands, on March 15, 2023. The rankings were based on the 2022-2023 World
Airport Survey and released by Skytrax, a renowned airline and airport review and
ranking site based in the United Kingdom (UK).
Singapore Changi Airport has reclaimed its status as the world's best airport after losing
it to Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, for two years (2021 and 2022) during
the peak of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
Skytrax World Airport Awards 2023: Indian Airports
i. Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is awarded a 4-star rating and named the
'Best Airport in India and South Asia' and is ranked 36th in 2023. (Rank 37 in 2022).
ii. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad (Telangana) is ranked 65th
in 2023 (Rank 63 in 2022).
iii. Bangalore (Karnataka) Airport is ranked 69th in 2023 (Rank 61 in 2022), whereas
Mumbai (Maharashtra) Airport is ranked 84th in 2023 (Rank 65 in 2022).

Delhi Airport Best in South Asia: Skytrax

Delhi Airport is the best airport not only in the country but also in the entire South
Asia. Skytrax, an international air travel rating company, has been assigning ranks to 50
airports around the world every year since 2020. Internationally, Delhi Airport, which
was ranked 37th in 2022, improved by one rank to rank 36th this year. Delhi
International Airport Limited (DIAL) is managed by a consortium led by GMR Airports
Infrastructure Limited. This is the largest airport in the country.
Skytrax conducts an annual survey based on the feedback given by the passengers after
the flight. The latest survey was conducted between August 2022-February 2023 and
the latest details were revealed. Singapore's Changi Airport topped the list.
Plastic piles in the seas.. 170 trillion micro plasticChances of tripling by 2040..
Revealed in "The 5 Gyres Institute" study
Not only on earth, but also in the sea, plastic waste is accumulating in heaps. "The 5
Gyres Institute" from America has expressed concern that the survival of sea creatures
has become questionable. It has been explained that there are about 170 trillion pieces
of plastic in the world's oceans. It is said that their weight will be 2 million tons. The 5
Gyres Institute has explained that they have studied plastic in the seas between 1979
and 2019. It has warned that plastic pollution in the oceans has increased significantly
since 2005, and if it is not stopped, the waste will increase three times by 2040. It has
been said that legal policies should be brought in to prevent plastic and a global
campaign should be done against the harms of plastic.
Microplastics to the ocean's edges
According to The 5 Gyres Institute, most of the plastic waste ends up in the oceans from
rivers and coastal areas. It explained that after 2005, along with the production of
plastic, usage has also increased, which has resulted in a huge accumulation of waste on
the earth. Dr. Markus Eriksen, co-founder of The 5 Gyres Institute, believes that with the
increase in microplastics in the oceans, there is now a need to respond at the global
level. They want to stop focusing on recycling along with cleanup. They are of the
opinion that if the original plastic is not made, there will be no need for these. It has
been explained that micro plastics are also emerging in the creatures living on the edges
of the sea. He warned that it is dangerous for the survival of marine life.
A study in six marine regions
The 5 Gyres Institute conducted a study on plastic pollution data from 11,777 ocean
stations in six major marine regions between 1979 and 2019. Microplastics are very
dangerous for the oceans. She said that besides the water being polluted, the organs of
the sea creatures are getting damaged as they are eating plastic as food.

26% world population lacks clean drinking water, 46% sanitation: UN report
The United Nations report states that 26 per cent of the world's population does not
have access to safe drinking water while the 46 per cent lack access to basic sanitation.
The new UN World Water Development Report 2023, which was launched on the eve of
the first major UN conference on water in over 45 years, gives a clear picture that the
gap needs to be filled to meet UN goals to ensure all people have access to clean water
and sanitation by 2030. estimated cost of meeting the goals is somewhere between USD
600 billion and USD 1 trillion a year

IPCC ' Synthesis report’

Synthesis Report AR6: Climate Change 2023 Despite progress in climate mitigation
policies and legislation since the previous report in 2014, "warming is likely to exceed
1.5 °C in the 21st century".
The AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023 concludes a five-year report on global
temperature rise, greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts.Since the Fifth
Assessment Report cycle ended in 2014, more attention has been paid to the climate
crisis and efforts to reduce its impact, with the annual Conference of the Parties (COP)
driving this progress.
This report is the latest report from the IPCC's 6th Assessment Cycle, published
between 2018 and 2023, which includes global warming of 1.5°C, showing
unprecedented damage from anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
This brief report highlights the urgency of the climate crisis, its root causes, the current
devastating effects - especially the undeniable scientific consensus in many climate-
vulnerable regions, and the irreversible temporary damage even if warming exceeds
1.5°C.
The goal is to provide policy with a high level, up-to-date understanding of climate
change, its impact and future risks, and provide solutions and options to address the
problem.
The next cycle, the seventh assessment report, is not expected until at least 2027, which
sets the stage for a seven-year milestone until 2030.
Key findings:
The new report, written by 39 scientists, is divided into three sections arranged by
timeline:
Current status and trends, looking back through history to the present;
Long-term climate projects and development prospects for 2100 and beyond;
Future Responses to Climate Change looks at the current international policy timeline
between now and 2030
Humans' ability to survive on our planet depends on what we do in the next seven
years. There is no time to lose in the goal of keeping the global average temperature
below 1.5°C.
Limiting warming to "below 2 ° C" by 2030, according to the goals of the Paris
Agreement, will be difficult to achieve, but avoiding 1.5 ° C is still possible.
The report also outlines the economic need for action to ensure that "the global
economic benefits of limiting global warming to 2°C outweigh the costs of mitigation in
most of the literature assessed."
Human-caused climate change has affected climate and extreme weather in every
region of the world - causing loss and damage to nature and people.
Greenhouse gas emissions will soon increase global warming and reach 1.5°C between
2030 and 2035.
Current warming is around 1.1°C, and current climate policies are expected to increase
global warming by 3.2°C by 2100.
The IPCC is "strongly convinced" that the risks and adverse effects of climate change
will increase with global warming.
To keep within the limit of 1.5 ° C, emissions must be reduced by at least 43% by 2030
and at least 60% by 2035 compared to 2019. Ten years are important to achieve this.

India lost 668,400 ha forests in 5 years, 2nd highest globally

Context: According to a new report, India has seen the highest rise in deforestation in
the last 30 years, with a stark surge recorded between 2015 and 2020.
Key highlights in the report:
Cattle rearing was the leading cause of global deforestation, leading to a loss of
2.105.753 ha annually. This was followed by the cultivation of oil seeds that caused
950,609 ha of forestry loss.Logging is the third highest factor responsible for
deforestation, causing around 678,744 ha of annual deforestation globally.
The report further revealed that while Brazil has reduced its deforestation by 2,559,100
ha from 2015 to 2020 and Indonesia by 1,876,000 ha for the same period, India's
figures have only increased significantly.

India ranks 13th on The Global Terrorism Index (GTI).

The report shows that Afghanistan continues to be the country most affected by
terrorism for the 4th year in a row, even though attacks and deaths decreased.
The GTI report is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), a think tank,
using data from Terrorism Tracker and other sources.
Terrorism Tracker provides event records on terrorist attacks since 1 January 2007.
The dataset contains almost 66,000 terrorist incidents for the period 2007 to 2022.
Globally, deaths from terrorism fell by 9% to 6,701 deaths, marking a 38% decrease
from its peak in 2015.
Pakistan recorded the second largest surge in terror-related deaths worldwide in 2022,
the toll increasing significantly to 643.
South Asia remains the region with the worst average GTI score,South Asia recorded
1,354 deaths from terrorism in 2022

World Happiness Report 2023

The report ranked the top 10 happiest countries, with Finland in the lead followed by
Denmark, Iceland, Israel, and the Netherlands. Other European countries such as
Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Luxembourg also made the top 10. New Zealand was
the only non-European country to make it to the top 10. The rankings are based on a
range of factors such as social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices,
generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
India’s position in the World Happiness Report has improved from 136 to 126, although
it is still behind its neighbouring countries such as Nepal, China, and Bangladesh.
Despite having the world’s fastest-growing economy, India’s ranking in the report has
consistently been low, leading some to question how it can be ranked lower than
countries.

India Ranked 144 with Mobility Score 70; UAE Ranks 1st
According to Arton Capital's latest update of 'Passport Index 2023"(as of March 2023),
India's Mobility score (MS) has reduced by three places to 70 from 73 in 2022. India's
Individual Passport Power Rank also fell by six places to 144 from 138 in 2022.
UAE ranks 1st in the Global Passport Power Rank 2023 with a Mobility Score of 181.
Afghanistan is ranked last with a Mobility Score of 38.

Mumbai Ranks in the World Tree City 2022 List for the 2nd Consecutive Year
In March 2023, the Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) recognised Mumbai (Maharashtra) in
the '2022 Tree Cities of the World' for its contributions and commitment towards
growing and maintaining the urban forest.

Kerala tops Gl tag list in FY 2022-23

• According to data shared by the Gl Registry, Kerala has secured the highest
number of Geographical Indication (Gl) tags for products among all states in
India in FY23.
• Several products from Kerala, including Attappady Aattukombu Avara (beans),
Attappady Thuvara (red gram), Onattukara Ellu (sesame), Kanthaloor Vattavada
Veluthuli (garlic), and Kodungallur Pottuvellari (snap melon) have been
recognized with the Gl tag.
• In addition to the six products from Kerala, the Geographical Indication (Gl)
Registry selected Mithila Makhana (aquatic fox nut) from Bihar and Alibag white
onion from Maharashtra for the Gl recognition tag.
• Tandur Redgram from Telangana, the local variety of pea, Ladakh Raktsey Karpo
Apricot from Ladakh, and Gamosa handicrafts from Assam were also selected for
the honour.
3rd India Justice Report 2022: Karnataka tops among Large States in Delivery of
Justice
• According to the 3rd edition of India Justice Report (IJR 3) 2022 released on 4th
April 2023, Karnataka has topped the overall ranking among the large and mid-
sized States (states with a population over 1 crore).
• Karnataka is followed by Tamil Nadu (TN) in 2nd position and Telangana in 3rd
position.
 • In this category Uttar Pradesh (UP) is at rank 18th which is the lowest. Sikkim
topped the overall ranking among Small States (states with a population up to 1
crore).
• About Tata Trusts:
• Chairman- Ratan N Tata
• Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
World Health Organization: One in six is infertile
• The World Health Organization has revealed that one in six people in the world is
suffering
from infertility. This problem is present in 17.15 percent of the total population
and to overcome this, it is suggested that reproductive measures should be taken
urgently and made available to all. In a report released on Tuesday, the
organization said that there are no major differences in the infertility problem
between regions, and that it has become a major challenge in rich, middle-class
and poor countries. 17.8 percent in rich countries, middle class and 16.5 percent
in poor countries have infertility problem. The problem of infertility is the same
in every region," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the
World Health Organization. In order to overcome this problem faced by these
people, it is necessary to expand the reproductive facilities, they should be
affordable, low cost and safe procedures should be introduced.
State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2021-22
• Developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with the Alliance
for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE)
• Front Runner Category (>60 points): Karnataka (Top performer), Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana
• Achiever Category (50-60Points): Assam (Top performer), Haryana,
Maharashtra, Punjab.
Mumbai ranked 19th in 'Best public transport in the world 2023’
• According to a survey published by London (United Kingdom) based global
magazine
• 'Time Out', India's Financial Capital Mumbai (Maharashtra) was ranked 19th in
the list of 'Best public transport in the world 2023'.
• Mumbai is the only Indian city to feature in the list.
• The list is topped by Germany's Berlin with the best public transport system
globally.
• It has the most reliable, safe, and comfortable public transport network. 97% of
its residents praised the public transit network, particularly for its metro system,
U-Bahn.
Andhra Pradesh's CM Jagan Mohan Reddy wealthiest CM in India: ADR Report
• According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), out of
the 28 state chief ministers and two union territories, 29 of them are millionaires
in India.
• Jagan Mohan Reddy from Andhra Pradesh is the richest among them with assets
worth 7510 crore, while Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has
the lowest assets worth around $15 lakh.
 • The report also noted that Jammu and Kashmir, which is a Union Territory, does
not have a chief minister at present.
World's 'most criminal countries' ranking: India behind US, UK at 77 spot
• World of Statistics has shared the ranking of the world's "most criminal
countries".
• On the list, Venezuela has been ranked top, followed by Papua New Guinea (2),
Afghanistan (3), South Africa (4), Honduras (5), Trinidad (6), Guyana (7), Syria
(8), Somalia (9) and Jamaica (10), respectively.
• India stood at 77 spots while the US and UK were ahead of India in the criminal
ranking country.
• The USA was at 55th number and the UK at 65th rank, according to the World of
Statistics. Turkey, Germany, and Japan were among the least criminal countries,
ranking at 92nd, 100th, and 135th ranks.
India ranks 5th in countries with most Al Investment
• Stanford University's Al Index report states that India is ranked fifth in terms of
investments received by startups offering Al-based products and services in
2022.
• Al startups in India received a total investment of $3.24 billion, surpassing
countries such as South Korea, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
• However, India is still behind the US, China, the UK, and Israel in terms of Al
investments received.
Global Unicorn Index
• After the United States and China, India has retained the third-highest number of
unicorns in the world (Hurun Report on Global Unicorn)
• Findings:
• India, with 68 unicorns has added 14 new unicorns since the pandemic began
and stands behind USA (666) and China (316)
• Top-most unicorn in India: BYJU's ($22 billion); Swiggy and Dream11 (both at $8
billion)
• Offshore unicorn: India (70) has more than China (32) and both countries
produce more offshore unicorns than any other country.
"Water Bodies - 1st Census Report"
• According to the "Water Bodies - 1st Census Report" released by the Ministry of
Jal Shakti, West Bengal (WB) has topped the list of states with the most number
of ponds and reservoirs, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes while
Andhra Pradesh (AP) has the highest number of tanks and Maharashtra is the
leading state with water conservation schemes.
• India has 24.24 lakh water bodies such as ponds, tanks and lakes with West
Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134).
i. The top 5 states (in number of water bodies) are, West Bengal (30.8% i.e.,
747480) followed by Uttar Pradesh(10.1% i.e., 245087), Andhra Pradesh (7.9%
i.e., 190777), Odisha 7.5% i.e., 181837) and Assam (7.1% i.e., 172492).
ii. With 3.55 lakh water bodies, South 24 Parganas of West Bengal is ranked as the
top district with the highest number of water bodies across India.
World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2023 released by Henley & Partners; New York
Tops
 • The investment migration firm Henley & Partners released its annual 'World's
• Wealthiest Cities Report 2023' which is again topped by New York, United States
of America (USA) with 340,000 millionaires, 724 centi-millionaires, and 58
billionaires in 2022.
• New York followed by Tokyo (Japan), California's Bay Area (USA), London
(United Kingdom) and Singapore.
• The annual survey looked at 97 cities in 9 regions around the world viz. Africa,
Australasia, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), East Asia, Europe, the
Middle East, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
• The list also featured Mumbai (Maharashtra) at 21st rank with 59,400
millionaires, 238 Centi-millionaires, and 29 Billionaires.

World's 1st Smart Gun: Bio fire Technologies Unveils Biometric Identification to
Prevent Misuse
• Colorado (United States of America-USA)-based Bio fire Technologies, a gun-
making company, has unveiled the world's 1st smart gun "Bio fire Smart Gun", a
9mm handgun secured by fingerprint and facial recognition biometrics. The
smart gun can only be fired after verifying the shooter's identity with
fingerprint/biometric and facial recognition technology.
• A 9mm handgun is designed to prevent unauthorized access and usage by
individuals such as children and criminals.
• It makes use of advanced technology that limits access to only the owner and
individuals who have been properly authorized by the owner.
UAE India's second largest export destination and third largest Source of Imports
• According to recent figures released by the Indian Ministry of Commerce, the
UAE remains the second most significant export destination for India.
• The US and UAE held onto their first and second positions, respectively, during
the financial year 2022-23.
• The ministry's figures, released two weeks into the new fiscal year, indicate a six
percent increase in India's overall exports of goods and services during the
financial year that concluded last month.
US emerges as India’s Biggest Trading Partner in FY23 at $128.55 b; China at
Second Position
• According to provisional data from the commerce ministry, the bilateral trade
between India and the United States has risen by 7.65% to reach $128.55 billion
in the fiscal year 2022-23, making the United States India's largest trading
partner.
• This represents an increase from $119.5 billion in the previous year and $80.51
billion in 2020-21, indicating a growing economic relationship between the two
countries.
MRF emerges as ‘Second Strongest Tyre Brand in the World'
• According to a recent report by Brand Finance, a U.K.-based brand valuation
consultancy, MRF Ltd. has been ranked as the second-strongest tyre brand in the
world.
 • The report evaluated various parameters, and MRF scored high on most of them,
including being the second fastest-growing tyre brand globally.
• With a score of 83.2 out of 100, MRF received a AAA- brand rating.
Syria becomes world's largest 'narco-state': Report
• According to reports, Syria has now become the world's largest narco-state, with
the majority of its foreign currency earnings coming from the production and
export of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine commonly referred to as
"poor man's coke".
• In line with the definition provided by Collins Dictionary, Syria can be classified
as a narco-state as the illegal trade of narcotics, specifically Captagon, forms a
significant portion of its economy, accounting for over 90 percent of the
country's foreign currency earnings.
MGNREGA: Rajasthan tops in person days generation for 4th year
• For the fourth year in a row, Rajasthan topped the country in terms of person
days generation under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme.
• In 2022-23, Rajasthan generated 35.61 crore person days at a total cost of Rs
10,175 crore under the scheme. Rajasthan is followed by Tamil Nadu (33.45
crore), Uttar Pradesh (31.18 crore), AndhraPradesh (23.96 crore) and Bihar
(23.69 crore) in terms of persondays generation, according to MGNREGA MIS
report.
India jumps 6 places on World Bank's Logistic Performance Index, ranks 38
• According to the World Bank's (WB) report titled Connecting to Compete 2023:
Trade Logistics in an Uncertain Global Economy - the Logistics Performance
Index (LPI) and its indicators" released on April 21, 2023, India's rank increased
by 6 places to 38 in the index, from 44 in 2018.
• Singapore topped the ranking followed by Finland at second, and Denmark at
third.
• This is the 7th edition of Connecting to Compet, a report that summarize the
findings from the new dataset for LPI and its component indicators.
Key Points:
• India shares the 38th rank with Lithuania, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye.
• Gol (Government of India) had announced a National Master Plan, PM Gati Shakti
for multi-modal connectivity, in October 2021 to reduce logistics cost and boost
the economy by 2024-25.
• About World Bank (WB):
• World Bank Group President - David Malpass
• Headquarters - Washington, DC, USA
• Establishment - 1944
DWDR | 120% increased expatriate earnings
Indians working abroad are earning well. According to the World Development Report
(WDR)-2023, there has been a 40 percent increase in the income of domestic migrants,
and a 120 percent increase in the income of Indians working abroad. According to the
report, there has been a 500 per cent increase in the income of low-skilled Indians who
have migrated to the US, compared to 300 per cent in the UAE. The report revealed that
the income of Indians in the Gulf has registered a low growth. According to the WDR,
skills, age, country of work and language ability affect the income growth of individuals.
SIPRI Report: World Military Expenditure in 2022 rose by 3.7% to US$2240
billion; US Topped the List, India Ranked 4th
• According to the SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Fact
Sheet April 2023 'Trends In World Military Expenditure, 2022', World military
expenditure grew for the 8th consecutive year in 2022 by 3.7% in real terms (i.e.
when adjusted for inflation) to an all-time high of US$2240 billion.
• With a military expenditure of US$81.4 billion, India was the fourth largest
spender in the world in 2022. Its spending increased by 6.0% from 2021 and
47% from 2013.
• The United States, China, Russia, India and Saudi Arabia, were the five biggest
spenders in 2022, which together accounted for 63% of world military spending.
• Total world military spending accounted for 2.2% of the global Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in 2022.
• Global spending grew by 19% over the decade 2013-22 and has risen every year
since 2015.

Kerala tops Gl tag list in FY 2022-23

• According to data shared by the Gl Registry, Kerala has secured the highest
number of Geographical Indication (Gl) tags for products among all states in
India in FY23.
• Several products from Kerala, including Attappady Aattukombu Avara (beans),
Attappady Thuvara (red gram), Onattukara Ellu (sesame), Kanthaloor Vattavada
Veluthuli (garlic), and Kodungallur Pottuvellari (snap melon) have been
recognized with the Gl tag.
• In addition to the six products from Kerala, the Geographical Indication (Gl)
Registry selected Mithila Makhana (aquatic fox nut) from Bihar and Alibag white
onion from Maharashtra for the Gl recognition tag.
• Tandur Redgram from Telangana, the local variety of pea, Ladakh Raktsey Karpo
Apricot from Ladakh, and Gamosa handicrafts from Assam were also selected for
the honour.
3rd India Justice Report 2022: Karnataka tops among Large States in Delivery of
Justice
• According to the 3rd edition of India Justice Report (IJR 3) 2022 released on 4th
April 2023, Karnataka has topped the overall ranking among the large and mid-
sized States (states with a population over 1 crore).
• Karnataka is followed by Tamil Nadu (TN) in 2nd position and Telangana in 3rd
position.
• In this category Uttar Pradesh (UP) is at rank 18th which is the lowest. Sikkim
topped the overall ranking among Small States (states with a population up to 1
crore).
• About Tata Trusts:
• Chairman- Ratan N Tata
 • Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
World Health Organization: One in six is infertile
• The World Health Organization has revealed that one in six people in the world is
suffering
from infertility. This problem is present in 17.15 percent of the total population
and to overcome this, it is suggested that reproductive measures should be taken
urgently and made available to all. In a report released on Tuesday, the
organization said that there are no major differences in the infertility problem
between regions, and that it has become a major challenge in rich, middle-class
and poor countries. 17.8 percent in rich countries, middle class and 16.5 percent
in poor countries have infertility problem. The problem of infertility is the same
in every region," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the
World Health Organization. In order to overcome this problem faced by these
people, it is necessary to expand the reproductive facilities, they should be
affordable, low cost and safe procedures should be introduced.
State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2021-22
• Developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with the Alliance
for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE)
• Front Runner Category (>60 points): Karnataka (Top performer), Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana
• Achiever Category (50-60Points): Assam (Top performer), Haryana,
Maharashtra, Punjab.
Mumbai ranked 19th in 'Best public transport in the world 2023’
• According to a survey published by London (United Kingdom) based global
magazine
• 'Time Out', India's Financial Capital Mumbai (Maharashtra) was ranked 19th in
the list of 'Best public transport in the world 2023'.
• Mumbai is the only Indian city to feature in the list.
• The list is topped by Germany's Berlin with the best public transport system
globally.
• It has the most reliable, safe, and comfortable public transport network. 97% of
its residents praised the public transit network, particularly for its metro system,
U-Bahn.
Andhra Pradesh's CM Jagan Mohan Reddy wealthiest CM in India: ADR Report
• According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), out of
the 28 state chief ministers and two union territories, 29 of them are millionaires
in India.
• Jagan Mohan Reddy from Andhra Pradesh is the richest among them with assets
worth 7510 crore, while Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has
the lowest assets worth around $15 lakh.
• The report also noted that Jammu and Kashmir, which is a Union Territory, does
not have a chief minister at present.
World's 'most criminal countries' ranking: India behind US, UK at 77 spot
• World of Statistics has shared the ranking of the world's "most criminal
countries".
 • On the list, Venezuela has been ranked top, followed by Papua New Guinea (2),
Afghanistan (3), South Africa (4), Honduras (5), Trinidad (6), Guyana (7), Syria
(8), Somalia (9) and Jamaica (10), respectively.
• India stood at 77 spots while the US and UK were ahead of India in the criminal
ranking country.
• The USA was at 55th number and the UK at 65th rank, according to the World of
Statistics. Turkey, Germany, and Japan were among the least criminal countries,
ranking at 92nd, 100th, and 135th ranks.
India ranks 5th in countries with most Al Investment
• Stanford University's Al Index report states that India is ranked fifth in terms of
investments received by startups offering Al-based products and services in
2022.
• Al startups in India received a total investment of $3.24 billion, surpassing
countries such as South Korea, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
• However, India is still behind the US, China, the UK, and Israel in terms of Al
investments received.
Global Unicorn Index
• After the United States and China, India has retained the third-highest number of
unicorns in the world (Hurun Report on Global Unicorn)
• Findings:
• India, with 68 unicorns has added 14 new unicorns since the pandemic began
and stands behind USA (666) and China (316)
• Top-most unicorn in India: BYJU's ($22 billion); Swiggy and Dream11 (both at $8
billion)
• Offshore unicorn: India (70) has more than China (32) and both countries
produce more offshore unicorns than any other country.
"Water Bodies - 1st Census Report"
• According to the "Water Bodies - 1st Census Report" released by the Ministry of
Jal Shakti, West Bengal (WB) has topped the list of states with the most number
of ponds and reservoirs, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes while
Andhra Pradesh (AP) has the highest number of tanks and Maharashtra is the
leading state with water conservation schemes.
• India has 24.24 lakh water bodies such as ponds, tanks and lakes with West
Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134).
iii. The top 5 states (in number of water bodies) are, West Bengal (30.8% i.e.,
747480) followed by Uttar Pradesh(10.1% i.e., 245087), Andhra Pradesh (7.9%
i.e., 190777), Odisha 7.5% i.e., 181837) and Assam (7.1% i.e., 172492).
iv. With 3.55 lakh water bodies, South 24 Parganas of West Bengal is ranked as the
top district with the highest number of water bodies across India.
World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2023 released by Henley & Partners; New York
Tops
• The investment migration firm Henley & Partners released its annual 'World's
• Wealthiest Cities Report 2023' which is again topped by New York, United States
of America (USA) with 340,000 millionaires, 724 centi-millionaires, and 58
billionaires in 2022.
 • New York followed by Tokyo (Japan), California's Bay Area (USA), London
(United Kingdom) and Singapore.
• The annual survey looked at 97 cities in 9 regions around the world viz. Africa,
Australasia, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), East Asia, Europe, the
Middle East, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
• The list also featured Mumbai (Maharashtra) at 21st rank with 59,400
millionaires, 238 Centi-millionaires, and 29 Billionaires.

World's 1st Smart Gun: Bio fire Technologies Unveils Biometric Identification to
Prevent Misuse
• Colorado (United States of America-USA)-based Bio fire Technologies, a gun-
making company, has unveiled the world's 1st smart gun "Bio fire Smart Gun", a
9mm handgun secured by fingerprint and facial recognition biometrics. The
smart gun can only be fired after verifying the shooter's identity with
fingerprint/biometric and facial recognition technology.
• A 9mm handgun is designed to prevent unauthorized access and usage by
individuals such as children and criminals.
• It makes use of advanced technology that limits access to only the owner and
individuals who have been properly authorized by the owner.
UAE India's second largest export destination and third largest Source of Imports
• According to recent figures released by the Indian Ministry of Commerce, the
UAE remains the second most significant export destination for India.
• The US and UAE held onto their first and second positions, respectively, during
the financial year 2022-23.
• The ministry's figures, released two weeks into the new fiscal year, indicate a six
percent increase in India's overall exports of goods and services during the
financial year that concluded last month.
US emerges as India’s Biggest Trading Partner in FY23 at $128.55 b; China at
Second Position
• According to provisional data from the commerce ministry, the bilateral trade
between India and the United States has risen by 7.65% to reach $128.55 billion
in the fiscal year 2022-23, making the United States India's largest trading
partner.
• This represents an increase from $119.5 billion in the previous year and $80.51
billion in 2020-21, indicating a growing economic relationship between the two
countries.
MRF emerges as ‘Second Strongest Tyre Brand in the World'
• According to a recent report by Brand Finance, a U.K.-based brand valuation
consultancy, MRF Ltd. has been ranked as the second-strongest tyre brand in the
world.
• The report evaluated various parameters, and MRF scored high on most of them,
including being the second fastest-growing tyre brand globally.
• With a score of 83.2 out of 100, MRF received a AAA- brand rating.
Syria becomes world's largest 'narco-state': Report
 • According to reports, Syria has now become the world's largest narco-state, with
the majority of its foreign currency earnings coming from the production and
export of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine commonly referred to as
"poor man's coke".
• In line with the definition provided by Collins Dictionary, Syria can be classified
as a narco-state as the illegal trade of narcotics, specifically Captagon, forms a
significant portion of its economy, accounting for over 90 percent of the
country's foreign currency earnings.
MGNREGA: Rajasthan tops in person days generation for 4th year
• For the fourth year in a row, Rajasthan topped the country in terms of person
days generation under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme.
• In 2022-23, Rajasthan generated 35.61 crore person days at a total cost of Rs
10,175 crore under the scheme. Rajasthan is followed by Tamil Nadu (33.45
crore), Uttar Pradesh (31.18 crore), AndhraPradesh (23.96 crore) and Bihar
(23.69 crore) in terms of persondays generation, according to MGNREGA MIS
report.
India jumps 6 places on World Bank's Logistic Performance Index, ranks 38
• According to the World Bank's (WB) report titled Connecting to Compete 2023:
Trade Logistics in an Uncertain Global Economy - the Logistics Performance
Index (LPI) and its indicators" released on April 21, 2023, India's rank increased
by 6 places to 38 in the index, from 44 in 2018.
• Singapore topped the ranking followed by Finland at second, and Denmark at
third.
• This is the 7th edition of Connecting to Compet, a report that summarize the
findings from the new dataset for LPI and its component indicators.
Key Points:
• India shares the 38th rank with Lithuania, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye.
• Gol (Government of India) had announced a National Master Plan, PM Gati Shakti
for multi-modal connectivity, in October 2021 to reduce logistics cost and boost
the economy by 2024-25.
• About World Bank (WB):
• World Bank Group President - David Malpass
• Headquarters - Washington, DC, USA
• Establishment - 1944
DWDR | 120% increased expatriate earnings
Indians working abroad are earning well. According to the World Development Report
(WDR)-2023, there has been a 40 percent increase in the income of domestic migrants,
and a 120 percent increase in the income of Indians working abroad. According to the
report, there has been a 500 per cent increase in the income of low-skilled Indians who
have migrated to the US, compared to 300 per cent in the UAE. The report revealed that
the income of Indians in the Gulf has registered a low growth. According to the WDR,
skills, age, country of work and language ability affect the income growth of individuals.
SIPRI Report: World Military Expenditure in 2022 rose by 3.7% to US$2240
billion; US Topped the List, India Ranked 4th
 • According to the SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Fact
Sheet April 2023 'Trends In World Military Expenditure, 2022', World military
expenditure grew for the 8th consecutive year in 2022 by 3.7% in real terms (i.e.
when adjusted for inflation) to an all-time high of US$2240 billion.
• With a military expenditure of US$81.4 billion, India was the fourth largest
spender in the world in 2022. Its spending increased by 6.0% from 2021 and
47% from 2013.
• The United States, China, Russia, India and Saudi Arabia, were the five biggest
spenders in 2022, which together accounted for 63% of world military spending.
• Total world military spending accounted for 2.2% of the global Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in 2022.
• Global spending grew by 19% over the decade 2013-22 and has risen every year
since 2015.

Telangana was ranked 7th and Andhra Pradesh was ranked 11th in Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI)
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were ranked 7th and 11th respectively in foreign direct
investment (FDI) inflows in the last financial year. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
inflows of Rs 2022,23,3 crore were received by all states across the country in 67-435.
Of this, Telangana got Rs 10,319 crore and Andhra Pradesh Rs 2,252 crore. Maharashtra
topped the list with a share of Rs 1,18,422 crore. Of the total investments in the country,
32.22 per cent went to that state. It was followed by Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana,
Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Andhra Pradesh was
restricted to the next position. In the last three years, Telangana received a total of Rs
10,35 crore of foreign direct investment. During the same period, Andhra Pradesh
received Rs 766,4 crore. This is Rs 572,31 crore less than Telangana. This was revealed
by the latest data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade. Most of the foreign investments into the country came from Mauritius,
Singapore, the US, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK, the UAE and the Cayman Islands.
• In 2022-23, FDIs to various states in Rs. crores).
∗ Maharashtra 1,18,422
∗ Karnataka 83,628
∗ Delhi 60,119
∗ Gujarat 37,059
∗ Haryana 20,735
∗ TamilNadu 17,247
∗ Telangana 10,319
∗ Rajasthan 7,218
∗ UttarPradesh 3,373
∗ WestBengal 3,217
∗ Andhra Pradesh 2,252
IIT Madras tops India Ranking 2023: Overall for the 5th time
According to the 8th edition of India Rankings (India Ranking 2023), prepared by
Ministry of Education (Mo) based on parameters defined by National Institutional
Ranking Framework (NIRF), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai,
Tamil Nadu (TN), has topped the list for the 5th consecutive time.
• IITM is followed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka ranked
2nd and IIT Delhi at 3rd.
• IIT Madras has also topped among the Engineering institutes for the 8th consecutive
year.
• IIT Madras is also ranked 2nd among research institutions and ranked 2nd best for
Innovation.
Note: featuring 13 categories, India Ranking 2023 of NIRF is the largest in its scope to
date.
About NIRF:
NIRF was approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) (now
MoE) and launched on 29th September 2015. ii. NIRF outlines a methodology to rank
institutions across India. The parameters cover Teaching, Learning and Resources,
Research and Professional Practices, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach and Inclusivity,
and Perception.

11th Edition of the World of Work Report

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released its 11th edition of the World
of Work report, providing insights into the projected global unemployment rates and
the need for social protection. As the world recovers from the impact of the pandemic, it
is crucial to address the disparities in employment opportunities and foster economic
stability. According to the ILO, the projected global unemployment rate for 2023 is
expected to fall below pre-pandemic levels, reaching 5.3%, which corresponds to
approximately 191 million individuals. While this indicates a positive trend, it is
essential to consider the varying degrees of recovery among different regions and
income groups.

China has massively increased nuclear weapons

Many countries on the path of modernization,revealed in the 'SIPRI' report, A key report
has revealed an interesting fact at a time when there are alarming situations in
geopolitics around the world. Many countries are said to be increasing the number of
their nuclear weapons. The report was prepared by the Sweden-based think tank
'Stockholm International Peace Research Institute' (SIPRI). Our neighbor China claims
that its nuclear weapons capability has increased significantly. Other nuclear-weapon
countries have also revealed that they are modernizing their weapons. According to the
latest report of SIPRI..
* Over the past few years, the number of nuclear weapons around the world has been
decreasing. Recently this trend has come to an end.
* The nine nuclear-capable countries—Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea,
Pakistan, Russia, and the United States—have 12,512 nuclear weapons by January 2023.
* 9,576 nuclear weapons are in military arsenals. All these are ready to use. Thus, the
number of nuclear weapons ready to be used for military purposes is gradually
increasing. Of these, 3,844 warheads were deployed along with missiles and fighter jets.
2 thousand missiles have been put on high alert.
* America and Russia still have 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons.
* The number of China's nuclear weapons has increased from 350 to 410. Experts say
that this is a matter to be considered in the context of the ongoing border conflict
between India and China for the past few years.
* India and Pakistan are developing new systems to launch nuclear weapons. Pakistan is
the main target of India's nuclear capability. But it seems that India is focusing more on
long range weapons. It is giving priority to provide weapons that can reach all parts of
China.
* SIPRI said that the nuclear disarmament program had been derailed after the start of
the Russia-Ukraine war.

7 states have more dropouts than the national average

Highest 21.7 percent in Meghalaya. 16.7 percent in AP
Revealed in PAB meeting
It has recently been revealed that dropouts are high in seven states. The Project
Approval Board (PAB) meeting revealed that higher than the national average dropouts
at the high school level for the academic year 2021-22 have been recorded in seven
states. The meeting was held by the Union Education Department last March-May to
discuss the implementation of the 'Samagra Shiksha' program in the academic year
2023-24. While there are 12 percent dropouts at the national level, 21.7 percent in
Meghalaya, 20.46 in Bihar, 20.3 in Assam, 17.85 in Gujarat, 16.7 in Andhra Pradesh and
14.6 percent in Karnataka, the PAB meeting revealed. Officials are unhappy that
dropouts are becoming a hindrance to the national education policy target of 100
percent student enrollment at every school level by 2030.
How is it in which states…
The meeting said that although the situation in West Bengal has improved significantly
in 2021-22 compared to the academic year 2020-21, necessary steps should be taken to
reduce the number of dropouts at the primary level and increase student enrollment at
the high school level.
* In Madhya Pradesh, the number of dropouts decreased from 23.8 percent in 2020-21
to 10.1 percent in 2021-22.
* In Maharashtra, dropouts decreased from 11.2 percent in 2020-21 to 10.7 percent in
2021-22. More than 15 percent were registered in five districts of that state.
* Although dropouts are gradually decreasing in Rajasthan - mostly children from STs
and Muslim families are dropping out at the high school level.

Oral diseases affect more than 800 million people in the Western Pacific: WHO
Report
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)'S "Global oral health status report
Towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030 Regional summary of the
Western Pacific Region" around 800 million people, or 42% of people in the Western
Pacific Region, suffer from oral diseases such as untreated dental caries, gum disease, or
tooth loss. If the countries in the region fail to integrate the oral health services into
universal health coverage packages, the increasing population of older adults in the
Region will increase the burden of oral diseases in the future.

5th State Food Safety Index

Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare unveiled the 5th State Food Safety Index
(SFSI) on World Food Safety Day, highlighting India's commitment to food safety and
innovation.
What is Food Safety?
Food safety refers to the practices and measures taken to ensure that food is safe for
consumption.
Status of Food safety:
• Approximately 600 million people, nearly 1 in 10 worldwide, fall ill each year due to
consuming contaminated food, resulting in 420,000 deaths annually
• Unsafe food leads to more than 200 diseases, including diarrhoea and cancers
• Children under five account for 40% of the foodborne disease burden
About the Report:
• Developed by: FSSAI (a statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
with a mandate to ensure public health at large)
1st State Food Safety Index was released in 2019
• The index is a benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for
evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
• The parameters include Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food
Testing - Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer
Empowerment.
• Top performers in the 5th edition were Kerala (Large states), Goa (small state) and
J&K (UTs).
Initiatives taken by FSSAI:
• Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011 (contains Licensing and Registration,
Packaging and Labelling, and Advertising)
• Heart Attack Rewind (eliminating trans-fat)
• FSSAI-CHIFSS (to promote collaborations between Industry, Scientific Community,
and Academia for food safety);
• Eat Right India Movement
• Eat Right Awards
Other initiatives:
• National Health Policy 2017
• POSHAN Abhivaan
• Anemia Mukt Bharat
• Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Eat Right Station Certification (by Railwav Ministry)
• Food Safety Magic Box (do-it-yourself food testing kit for school students)
• Codex Alimentarius, or "Food Code" is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes
of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

11.4% of people in the country have diabetes;Telangana in 17th place, AP in 19th

place: ICMR report revealed
11.4 percent of the people in the country have diabetes and 35.5 percent have high
blood pressure (BP), according to the recently released 'India's Metabolic Health
Report' by ICMR. 15.3 percent were in prediabetic condition. In this study conducted to
estimate the burden of non-communicable diseases in 31 states/union territories (UTs)
across the country, BP, obesity and other problems have been identified. The results of
the study were also published in the renowned medical journal Lancet. Samples were
collected from a total of 1,13,043 people and a report was prepared. The Telugu states
in the south are in a slightly better position with regard to diabetes, the report said.
Highlights of the report
* Goa, Puducherry, Kerala, Chandigarh and Delhi are in the first 5 places in the states
with high number of diabetes. Telangana is in 17th place and Andhra Pradesh is in 19th
place. According to the report, 9.9% in Telangana and 9.5% in Andhra Pradesh have
diabetes. Kerala (25.5%), Tamil Nadu (14.4%) and Karnataka (10.6%) have higher
number of diabetics than these two states.

In Telugu states 10 to 14.9% people are in prediabetic condition. More than 30% suffer
from BP and more than 25% suffer from obesity. The report states that Telugu states
are in the red zone in terms of blood pressure, obesity and triglycerides.

* The burden of non-communicable diseases is higher in urban areas as compared to

rural areas across the country. The prevalence of diabetes was 16.4% in urban areas
and 8.9% in rural areas, the report said.

* 28.6% of people in the country are suffering from obesity, 39.5% from abdominal
obesity, 35.5% from BP and 24% from high blood cholesterol.

Global Slavery Index 2023: With 11 Million Forced Labourers India tops among
the G20 Nations
According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, an assessment of modern slavery
conditions in 160 countries, released by Australia-based Rights group Walk Free
Foundation in May 2023, globally around 50 million (49.6 million) people were living in
conditions of modern slavery in 2021.
• Among the G20 nations, India tops the list with 11 million people working as forced
labourers, followed by China, Russia, Indonesia, Türkiye and the United States of
America (USA).
• ⅔ of people in modern slavery were in India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia,
Indonesia, Nigeria, Türkiye, Bangladesh and the USA.
• Asia and Pacific region has the largest number of modern slavery with 29.3 million
people.
• The 2023 Global Slavery Index provides an assessment of the extent to which a
country's population is vulnerable to modern slavery for 160 countries.

Mumbai Tops the List as India's Costliest City for Expatriates

According to Mercer's Cost of Living survey, Mumbai has been identified as the most
expensive city for expatriates in India. The survey analyzed 227 cities across five
continents to determine the cost of living for expats. Following Mumbai, New Delhi and
Bengaluru ranked second and third respectively on the list.

Hyderabad is one of the most expensive cities

Hyderabad has got a place among the most expensive cities in India for foreigners.
Mumbai tops this list domestically. According to 'Mercer's 2023 Cost of Living Survey'
Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Pune are in the next positions. The list was
compiled by taking into account the costs of up to 200 items in each city, such as
accommodation, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.
Highlights of this survey conducted in 227 cities in five continents.
Mumbai is ranked 147th among the most expensive cities in the world . Delhi 169,
Chennai 184, Bangalore 189, Hyderabad 202, Kolkata 211, Pune 213.
*Internationally, Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich are in the first three positions.
Among the least expensive areas are Havana (which has lost 83 places this year),
Karachi and Islamabad in Pakistan.
*Accommodation costs in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune are 50 percent less
than Mumbai. Kolkata has the lowest accommodation costs for foreign workers.
*Changes have been seen in the positions of Indian cities in the international ranking.
Currency fluctuations and changes in the prices of goods and services in areas like
Europe are the reason for this.
*Compared to Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo, Mumbai (147( and Delhi (169( stand out as
good destinations in terms of costs for multinational companies (MNCs) looking to
operate abroad.
*Mumbai and Delhi are among the top 35most expensive cities in Asia. Among Asian
cities, Mumbai's
position has dropped by one place to 27th compared to last year.
India tops digital payments rankings globally, shows MyGovIndia data
India has emerged as the global leader in digital payments for the year 2022, surpassing
other nations in terms of both value and volume of transactions. The data from the
government's citizen engagement platform, MyGovIndia, reveals India's dominant
position in the digital payment landscape, showcasing the country's robust payment
ecosystem and widespread adoption of digital modes.

230 crore people in the world do not have cooking gas

Even in today's modern age, there are hundreds of millions of people around the world
who do not see electric lights and do not have access to cooking gas. To this end, there
are five international organizations. The international energy agency, the International
Renewable Energy Agency, the United Nations' Statistical Agency, the World Bank and
the World Health Organization (WHO) have released the latest report.
Nearly 230.67 billion people in the world use firewood and firewood as firewood as
firewood. 50.<> crore people still do not have access to electricity.
By 2030, the number of people without electricity will come down to 66 crore and the
number of people without cooking gas will come down to 190 crore.
In 2010, 84 per cent of the world's population had access to electricity. By 2021, it has
reached 91 per cent. This growth slowed down somewhat in 19-2019 due to the spread
of the Covid-21 pandemic.
About 80 per cent (56 million) of those without electricity live in sub-Saharan Africa.
The policies followed by the countries of the world in terms of energy resources are
having a negative impact on the people.
It is estimated that nearly 7.32 million people die every year in the world due to the use
of polluting fuels such as firewood and firewood due to lack of cooking gas, and air
pollution due to it.

The most valuable brand is Tata Group

Tata Group has maintained its position as the most valuable brand in India, according to
Brand Finance's latest report . The group's brand value is expected to grow by 10.3% to
$26.38 billion (roughly Rs. 2.16 lakh crore) in 2022. Tata Group has become the only
Indian brand with a value of more than 25 billion dollars. According to this list prepared
by Brand Finance with 500 companies..
* Tata Group is the only Indian brand to feature in the top 100 companies.
* Infosys continues to be the second largest Indian brand with $13 billion. Airtel is at
4th position while Jio Group is at 11th position.
* Among the banks, SBI is at the top, followed by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
* Mahindra Group rose 17% to rank 7th. Mahindra and Mahindra of the same group
increased its brand value to $3.6 with a growth of 53.8%. As the fastest automobile
brand in India, it has become the fastest top-10 automobile brand internationally. Along
with Mahindra, Tata Motors and Maruti also achieved double-digit growth in terms of
value.
* 'Taj' is the strongest brand in India in terms of marketing investment, reliability, staff
satisfaction etc.
* Among metal companies, Tata Steel, Hindalco and Vedanta have shown better growth.
* Raymond became the most valuable clothing brand. 273 million with a growth of
83.2%. reached dollars. Ranked in top 100 in India.
* IndiGo became the most valuable ($832 million) airline brand. Air India also grew by
18% to 365 million. increased to dollars.
Top 10 Indian Companies in Brand Value
Company value
Tata Group -26.38
Info Sees - 13.00
LIC - 9.70
Airtel - 7.50
Reliance Group - 7.35
SBI - 7.33
Mahindra Group - 7.08
Wipro - 6.87
HDFC - 6.79
HCL Tech - 6.53

Global Gender Gap Report 2023

According to the annual Gender Gap Report 2023 (17th edition) of the World Economic
Forum (WEF), India was ranked 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity - an
improvement of 8 places from last year. It is an annual index first published in 2006 by
the WEF to measure gender equality. It assesses countries on how well they are dividing
their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless
of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities.

Global livability Index 2023: Austria's Vienna ranked World's Most liveable City
followed by Copenhagen
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global livability index 2023
released on June 21, 2023, 'Vienna' the capital of Austria ranked as the world's most
liveable city for the second consecutive year due to excelling in all the categories of the
index.
• Copenhagen (Denmark) ranked second while Melbourne and Sydney of Australia
ranked 3rd and 4th in the index.
• ElU's index ranks 173 cities across five categories: stability, healthcare, education,
culture and the environment, and infrastructure.
Ranking of Indian cities:
Five cities from India such as Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Bengaluru (Karnataka) ranked
at 47th and 48th rank, whereas New Delhi (Delhi) and Mumbai (Maharashtra) stood at
141st rank and Chennai (Tamil Nadu) ranked at 144th in the livability index based on
their performance in various metrics.
The average liveability score has increased from 73.2 in 2022 to 76.2 (out of 100) in
2023.

Rajasthan tops in Wind Energy Adoption during FY 2022-23; Gujarat & TN stands
2nd & 3rd
On the event organised as a part of the Global Wind Day 2023 (15th June 2023) in New
Delhi, Delhi, Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MoNRE) felicitated Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu (TN) for being the top achiever
during the financial year (FY) 2022-2023.
• Rajasthan was honoured for achieving the highest wind capacity addition.
• Gujarat was honoured for achieving the highest wind capacity addition through open
access.
• Tamil Nadu was honoured for initiating the repowering of wind turbines.

Madhya Pradesh Tops National Water Awards in Best State Category

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the fourth National Water Awards in New
Delhi on Saturday, recognizing and encouraging the commendable efforts made by
individuals, organizations, districts, and states in water conservation.
• The awards, announced by the Jal Shakti Ministry, aim to create awareness about the
significance of water and inspire the adoption of best water use practices. Madhya
Pradesh emerged as the top-performing state in the Best State category, demonstrating
its commitment to water conservation.

An average of 96 minutes per meal

People wait for 41 hours a week for work and employment In the modern age, man's life
is changing mechanically. From waking up in the morning to getting back to bed at
night, everything was going on routinely. There is some difference between village life
and urban life. Whether it's a village or a city, eating, working, sleeping. The same cycle
is being repeated. Researchers at McGill University in Canada conducted an interesting
study on how the average life of human beings around the world is going on. How is
people's day-to-day life? How much time do you devote to which work? it was closely
observed. For this purpose, data from various national surveys in 58 countries were
compiled. 60 per cent of the world's population is covered by this study. What the study
found is that. On an average, people spend 41 hours a week looking for work and
employment.
2.5 hours are spent on cleanliness at home and 3.4 hours for gardening and other
personal work. "The study found that people spend an average of 6.5 hours outdoors
with friends, watching TV, and playing games," said researcher Eric Galbraith. People
spend 55 minutes washing dishes, cooking and cleaning tables.
96 minutes (1.6 hours) are spent on a meal.
Fishing, crop cultivation and other agriculture-related activities cost around 52 minutes
(0.9 hours).
He spends 2.5 hours in bathing and health care.
The study's authors revealed that the inclusion of young children in the survey also
appears to have increased the time taken for some tasks.
The waiting time for sleep is 9 hours, of which 11 hours are for children and 7.5 hours
for adults.
In some respects, there is a lot of difference between countries. While 12 minutes are
spent on a daily basis for religious prayers and pujas, in some countries this time is even
longer.
It is well known that there are differences in income and cultural differences between
different countries. The researchers also found that there are differences in the timings
at which people spend different tasks in different countries. For example, the time spent
on agriculture is higher in poor countries as compared to rich countries. There were no
significant differences between countries in terms of travel time from one place to
another.

Extreme weather events led to 12mn Children Displacements in 2022: UNICEF

estimates
According to the estimates released by UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) on
June 13, 2023, extreme weather events around the world, including unprecedented
floods in Pakistan and the drought in the Horn of Africa, led to 12 million children
displacements in 2022.
By the end of 2022, a record 43.3 million children lived in forced displacement, and
almost 60% (25.8 million) were internally displaced by conflict and violence.
Internally displaced and refugee children, who are among the most vulnerable, often
face barriers to education, healthcare, routine immunization, and social protection.

The silent epidemic is sickle cell anemia

Deaths due to sickle cell anemia are 11 times higher than the records indicate, according
to a study published in the leading medical journal 'Lancet'. American scientists have
come to this conclusion after examining international health data for the period 2000-
2021. Most deaths due to sickle cell disease occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan
countries. It is an anemic disease. It is transmitted in the embryonic stage. The disease
causes a deficiency of hemoglobin and the red blood cells become curved in the shape of
a crescent. If this disorder is not diagnosed and treated early, infections can occur.
Paralysis, urinary tract, heart problems occur. Birth problems also occur. Sickle cell
disease is not identified as the cause of deaths due to these complications and they are
recorded as normal deaths in the records. In fact, it is 67 times higher in South Asian
countries than recorded, and nine times higher in sub-Saharan Africa. Sickle cell anemia
is the 12th leading cause of death among children under five years of age. This disease
should be detected early and proper care should be taken.
Carbon emissions are also caused by food
United States, China, India, Indonesia and Brazil are responsible for 40 percent of global
carbon emissions due to food consumption, according to researchers from Britain and
the Netherlands. They came to this conclusion by examining food consumption patterns
between 2000-2019. Consumption of animal meat accounted for 32 percent of the
increase in emissions and dairy products for 46 percent. Increased population and
incomes have led to increased consumption of animal meat in China and dairy products
in India. Rice accounts for more than half of the emissions from the consumption of food
grains. China, India and Indonesia have a large rice crop. Livestock and food crops
require more water and fertilizers. They lead to an increase in carbon emissions.
Cultivation of food grains accounts for 43 percent of emissions from plant consumption
and oilseeds for 23 percent. Between 2000-2019, food-related carbon emissions
increased by 14 percent. More than half of these emissions come from the consumption
of meat and dairy products. Researchers suggest that reducing animal meat
consumption and eating more plant-based foods can reduce emissions and benefit the
environment. A large amount of pasture land is required for grazing cattle for meat and
milk. With increasing population, the area of cropland is also increasing. The agriculture
and food sectors account for a third of global carbon emissions. With increasing
population, the area of cropland is also increasing. The agriculture and food sectors
account for a third of global carbon emissions. With increasing population, the area of
cropland is also increasing. The agriculture and food sectors account for a third of global
carbon emissions.

India to lose 6,500 millionaires in 2023, Dubai and Singapore top choice: Henley's
Report
¡.According to the Henley and partners' annual report of Henley Private Wealth
Migration Report 2023, published on June 13, 2023, India may lose at least 6,500 High-
Networth Individuals (HNWIs) in 2023 making India the second-highest outflow of
HNWIs globally, after China (which has a net loss of 13,500 HNWIs).
i. India will be followed by the United Kingdom-UK (3,200) and Russia (3,000) in third
and fourth places, respectively.
iii. The 2022 edition projected the departure of 7,500 HNWIs from India that year.
iv. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore remain preferred destinations for
wealthy Indian families amid Golden Visa" program, favourable tax environment, robust
business ecosystem and a safe, peaceful environment.
About Henley and Partners:
CEO- Juerg Steffen
Headquarters- London, UK

Equality of men and women.. still far away!

UN report on progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Women are
advancing in all fields like half of the sky... they are making progress in the fields of
education and employment as well as in taking up political positions... however,
discrimination against them still continues and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Agenda (SDA) to achieve equality between men and women by 2030 has
not yet been achieved, according to a recent report. Revealed.
Women are making progress in all fields like half of the sky... They are making progress
in the fields of education and employment as well as taking up political positions...
However, discrimination against them still continues and the United Nations (UN)
Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA) to achieve equality between men and women
by 2030 has not yet been achieved. The latest report revealed. The UN member states
ratified the SDA in 2015. Since then, in the last eight years, no steps have been taken
towards achieving the target, the UN report said. Moreover, in many parts of the world,
gender equality is being opposed and women's rights are being denied.

Since 1995, the number of women holding the positions of heads of state and
government as well as leading corporate organizations has increased significantly.
About 10 percent of those who took up those positions are women. However, the
majority believe that men can act more efficiently than women as political leaders and
businessmen. According to the report, such views allow discrimination against women
to continue.

In 59 countries, more women are educated than men. However, the income gap
between men and women continues to be 39 percent, the report said.
It has been analyzed that there is still a gap between women's empowerment and
gender equality seen in the fields of education and economy.

AGEL ranked 1st in Asia and among top 10 Companies Globally in RE Sector by ISS
ESG Performance
On 15th June 2023, Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), India's largest renewable
power producer and the Renewable Energy (RE) arm of the diversified Adani portfolio,
has been ranked 1st in Asia and among the top 10 companies globally in the Renewable
Energy sector by the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ESG (Environmental,
Social, and Governance) Ratings.
• AGEL has been placed in the 'Prime' (B+) band, recognizing its strong ESG disclosure
practices and high level of transparency.
• By this achievement, AGEL is a step closer to achieving its target of being rated among
the top 10 ESG companies in the world in the electric utility sector by the Financial Year
2024-25 (FY25)

Kathmandu-based ICIMOD Study Report,Himalayan glaciers might lose 75% of

their ice by 2100
According to the study report issued by Kathmandu (Nepal) based intergovernmental
scientific authority International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD), Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas are melting at unprecedented rates and
are expected to lose up to 75% of their volume by 2100 due to global warming.
• The Hindu Kush Himalava stretches about 3,500 km (2,175 miles) across India,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan encompassing
the peaks like Everest and K2.

11th THE's Asia University Rankings 2023

IISc top Indian institutes, Overall Tops by China's Tsinghua University
i.On June 22, 2023, the 11th edition of 'Times High Education (THE) Asia University
Rankings 2023 has named Indian Institute of Science (ISc) in Bengaluru (Karnataka) as
the highest-ranked Indian institution in Asia. Overall it is ranked at 48th in the Asian
Region.
ii.On the whole regional front i.e. Asia, the list is topped by China's Tsinghua University,
and Peking University at 1st and 2nd positions for the 4th year in a row.
iii. Singapore's National University of Singapore is ranked at 3rd place for the 3rd
consecutive year.
iv. Notably, IISc 2023 position at 48th is the lowest rank since 2015, when it first
entered the ranking at 34th spot. It was ranked 42nd in 2022.
v. The ranking is premised upon the 13 performance indicators to reflect the attributes
of Asia's institutions. These performance indicators are grouped into five areas.
About Times Higher Education (THE):
Formerly The Times Higher Education Supplement (The Thes), it is a British magazine
reporting on news and issues related to higher education.
CEO- Paul Howarth
Headquarter- London, United Kingdom (UK)

India ranked 40th in Global competitive rankings

In the global competitiveness rankings, India has dropped three places to 40th position
this year compared to last year. In 2022, it was ranked 37th. For three years between
2019 and 21, India was ranked 43rd in a row. India has slipped three places to 40th
position in the global competitiveness rankings this year compared to last year. In 2022
it would have been at the 37th position. For the three years between 2019-21, India
ranked 43rd consecutively. According to the latest report released by the International
Institute for Management Development (IIMD), India has improved its efficiency but
still lags behind other countries in terms of business efficiency, infrastructure and
economic performance. Exchange rate stability, compensation levels and improvements
in pollution control helped India's score.
IIMD explained in its report that India is facing challenges this year such as maintaining
high GDP growth, dealing with financial market volatility, controlling inflation, fiscal
deficit, accelerating digital transformation and mobilizing resources for infrastructure
development. In the IIMD's latest list, Singapore fell one place to the fourth position,
while Denmark, Ireland and Switzerland occupied the top three positions respectively.
The Netherlands took the fifth place, while Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sweden, America and
UAE were in the top 10 respectively.

WEF's Energy Transition Index 2023

India ranked 67th; Sweden Tops According to the World Economic Forum(WEF) report
titled "Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2023", published in collaboration with
Accenture, India is ranked 67th on the Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2023.
• The report also stated that India is the only major economy with energy transition
momentum accelerating across the ETI's equitable, secure and sustainable dimensions.
• ETI 2023, the list of 120 counties, is topped by Sweden with an ETI score 78.5
followed by Denmark (76.1) and Norway (73.7) in 2nd and 3rd rank respectively.

UNODC World Drug Report 2023

The UNODC World Drug Report 2023 (a yearly report) highlights the expanding illicit
drug markets and the challenges they pose to health services and law enforcement.
Key findings:
• Over 296 million people worldwide used drugs in 2021, a 23% increase over the past
decade.
• The increasing dominance of synthetic drugs, such as methamphetamine, and fentanyl
which have transformed illicit drug markets due to their low cost and ease of
production.
• Drug use disorder cases have surged by 45% in the last ten years.

Malnutrition is a major problem in India

India has a high prevalence of malnutrition, especially micronutrient deficiency. This
should be addressed immediately. The 'invisible hunger' that is undermining people's
health must be tackled immediately. Malnutrition refers to not getting enough food. Due
to this, the nutrients and energy needed to maintain the health of people are not
available," said food experts. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
recently released 'The Global Food Policy Report' (GFPR) to this extent. Globally, there
were 57.20 crores of undernourished people in 2014. By 2021, this number will reach
76.80 crores. It means that it has increased by 34.2 percent. The report revealed that
this problem is 30% in Afghanistan, 17% in Pakistan, 16% in India, 12% in Bangladesh,
6% in Nepal and 4% in Sri Lanka. On this, IFPRI South Asia Director Shahidur Rashid
said, "Although India is ahead in food production and availability, there are problems in
delivering it to the people. It is not enough to eat a full stomach especially food made of
rice and wheat. Pay attention to the nutrients available from them. In terms of nutrients,
'invisible hunger' is highest in India and South Asia. Efforts should be made to solve this
problem for a healthy future," he explained. According to the Indian government's
'Nutrition Tracker', more than 14 lakh children in the country are suffering from severe
malnutrition. Most in South Asia. Efforts should be made to solve this problem for a
healthy future," he explained. According to the Indian government's 'Nutrition Tracker',
more than 14 lakh children in the country are suffering from severe malnutrition. Most
in South Asia. Efforts should be made to solve this problem for a healthy future," he
explained. According to the Indian government's 'Nutrition Tracker', more than 14 lakh
children in the country are suffering from severe malnutrition.

India produced .27 billion automobiles in FY23, with a value of US$ 108 billion
According to a report by management consulting services firm Primus Partners, the
passenger vehicle segment accounted for a significant 57 per cent share, valued at Rs 5
lakh crore, while the commercial vehicle segment, encompassing a range from small 4-
wheel carriers to large tractor-trailers and specialty vehicles like tippers, contributed to
10 lakh vehicles and a value of Rs 1.7 lakh crore, as per PTI. The CV segment accounted
for 4 per cent in the total volume and 19 per cent in value terms, it said. Primus Partners
data suggest that the production of two-wheelers in India is closely matched that of
China, with a staggering 20million two-wheelers manufactured in China, representing
77per cent of the volume share. This segment contributed Rs 1 . 8lakh crore, accounting
for 21per cent of the total value, the report said.

QS World University Ranking 2024: Chandigarh University Ranked Number 1

Private University in India
Chandigarh University (CU) has achieved a significant accomplishment by attaining the
top position among private universities in India in the latest release of the esteemed
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking. The rankings for QS WUR-2024
involved the evaluation of 2963 institutions. Chandigarh University, known for its
consistent success, has secured an impressive overall rank of 771-780, surpassing its
previous rank of 801-1001 in the previous edition of the ranking released last year. The
university has received an overall score of 15.2 in this year's ranking. In the 20th edition
of the QS rankings, a total of 45 Indian universities have made their presence, and
Chandigarh University (CU) has achieved an impressive all-India rank of 20 among both
public and private institutes. Additionally, the university secured the 233rd spot in the
Asia region.

QS World University Rankings 2024: IIT

Bombay only Indian Institute among the top 150
According to the QS World University Rankings 2024 by Quacquarelli Symonds(QS)
released on 27th June 2023, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B),
Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the only Indian Institute featured among the top 150
Universities.
• IIT-B ranked 149th globally, has emerged as the best higher education Institue in
India.
• The global list is topped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
Cambridge, United States of America(USA) for the 12th time(2012 and from 2014 to
2024).
• MIT is followed by the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the United Kingdom (UK)
in 2nd place and the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK in 3rd place.

IISc Bangalore becomes top Indian institute in Asian university rankings

IISc is ranked 48th, the second highest ranked university in India is also from Karnataka
– JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Mysuru, which comes 68th.
Others in the top 100 include Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management
Sciences in Bajhol, Himachal Pradesh at 77th position and Mahatma Gandhi University
in Kerala, ranked 95th.
The list was topped by China’s Tsinghua University and Peking University. The National
University of Singapore ranked third.
In all, India has one university in the top 50, four universities in the top 100 and 18
universities in the top 200.
There are a total of 75 Universities from India in the Rankings. This number has
increased from last year, when 71 universities made it to the list.
University Rank
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore 48
JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research 68
Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences 77
Mahatma Gandhi University 95
International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad 106
Alagappa University 111
Saveetha University 113
Jamia Millia Islamia 128
Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar 131
Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi 137

India stands at 126 rank out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index
According to the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index 2023 released by international
think-tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India has ranked at 126th
position by climbing nine positions from 2022. The list is topped by Iceland.
India's position with respect to year 2022 India held the 135th position in 2022 with a
score of 2.578, whereas in the current year it has improved to the 126th rank with a
score of 2.314.
India's position with respect to neighbours:
India is listed as the 126th country on the list which is far behind few of her neighbours
such as Bhutan (17), Maldives (23), Nepal (79), China (80), Bangladesh (88), Sri Lanka
(107).
Countries like Myanmar (145) & Pakistan (146) are listed behind India

Singapore tops the chart in performance

Britain and the United States seem to be losing ground in their influence. People may
think of Britain as the best country, but a study by scientists at The University of
Wurzburg in Germany found that Britain did not find a place in the top-10 countries.
Britain is ranked 13th in the list of most efficient countries after countries like Finland,
while the UNITED States is ranked 23rd.
With the help of nifti's political tool, 173 countries were ranked after taking into
account roads, water, electricity, schools, hospitals and police. From waiting time to the
doctor to the power facility, every sector has been thoroughly examined. Singapore tops
the list of the best performing countries, followed by Libya at the bottom. Singapore,
Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia are at
the top. India is ranked 110th.

WHO Reports: In 2019, 395,000 deaths of Children under 5 due to Unsafe WASH
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report titled Burden of disease
attributable to unsafe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update, among
children under the age of 5, unsafe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) was
responsible for 395 000 deaths and 37 million disability-adjusted life ears (DALYs). This
represents 7.6% of all deaths and 7.5% of all DALYs in this age group. This also includes
273 000 deaths from diarrhoea and 112 000 deaths from acute respiratory infections,
top 2 infectious causes of death for children under 5 globally.

Bloomberg Billionaires Index-- wealth of the world's richest people.

(According to Bloomberg estimates...by July 2, 2023...in billions of dollars)
1. Elon Musk-23,400
2. Bernard Arnold-20,000
3. Jeff Bezos- 15,400
4. Bill Gates-13,400
5. Larry Ellison-13,300
6. Steve Ballmer-11,800
7. Warren Buffett-11,500
8. Larry Page-11,000
9. Sergey Brin-10,400
10. Mark Zuckerberg -10,400
II. Carlos Slim-9,600
12. Francois Meyers -9,320
13. Mukesh Ambani -8,820*
14. Amanio Ortega -7,800
15. Jim Walton-7,13016. Rob Walton-6,940
 17. Alice Walton-6,830
18. Zhang Shanshan-6,310
19. Charles Koch-6,230
20. Julia Fleischer Koch -6,230
21. Gautam Adani-6,030*
22. John Mars-5,950

United Nations praised 'Bharat'

India, one of the most populous countries in the world, has been hailed by the United
Nations as a leader in overcoming poverty. It has been revealed that 41.5 crore people
have come out of poverty in India in 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021. To this
end, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has recently released the Global
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report in collaboration with the University of
Oxford. It said that 25 countries including India have achieved better results in ending
poverty in the last 15 years. This list includes Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras,
Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, Vietnam and other countries. In India
According to the United Nations report, while 55.1 percent of people were poor in
2005/2006, their number will decrease to 16.4 percent by 20190/2021. “Poverty has
declined significantly in India, which has the largest population. In just 15 years period
(2005-06 to 2019-21), 41.5 crore people were lifted out of poverty. The poverty rate
which was 55.1 percent in 2005-06 has reduced to 16.4 percent by 2019-21. In 2005-
06, about 64.5 crore people were living in multidimensional poverty in the country. This
figure was 37 crores by 2015-16. 23 crores by 2019-21. There has been a decrease in
the respective indicators," said the UN report.

Multidimensional poverty Index

According to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2023, a total of 415
million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005/2006 to
2019/2021.

2023 WHO-UNICEF JMP report: Women, girls bear the burden of Water, Sanitation
Crisis
According to the report by World Health Organization(WHO- United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene
(JMP) titled "Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022:
Special focus on gender", globally women and girls bear the burden of drinking water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH) crises.
• Women and girls spend more than ten times as much time fetching water for
households than men.
• Girls are nearly twice as likely as boys to bear the responsibility.
Over half of world's child trafficking victims trafficked within own country:
Report by IOM & FXB
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Francois-Xavier Bagnoud
Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University (FB) released a new report
titled 'From Evidence to Action: Twenty years of 10M child trafficking data to inform
policy and programming'.
• As per the report, half of child trafficking victims are trafficked within their own
country.
• In cases of international trafficking, children are mostly trafficked to neighbouring,
wealthier countries.
This report, a first of its kind, is based on analysis of extensive, globally sourced data,
using the 10M's Victims of Trafficking Database (VoTD). It analyzed primary data from
more than 69,000 victims of trafficking of 156 nationalities, trafficked in 186 countries.

India Achieved the Best-Performing Nation on UN Digital and Sustainable Trade

Facilitation Survey
According to the 5th edition of Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation by
the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific's (UNESCAP), India
has emerged as the best-performing country in the South Asian region in terms of trade
facilitation. India has been positioned at the forefront of global trade facilitation efforts,
with an impressive score of 93.55% in 2023 vis a vis 90.32% in 2021 after evaluation of
160 economies(countries) and 60 trade facilitation measures.

Overview of virtual 23rd SCO-CHS Summit 2023; Chaired by India for 1st time
On July 4, 2023, the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi chaired the 23rd
Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit
which was held in a virtual format. This is the first time India chaired the SCO-CHS
Summit.
The theme of the summit was 'Towards a SECURE SCO'. It stands for Security;
Economy (and Trade); Connectivity; Unity;Respect (for Sovereignty and Territorial
Integrity); and Environment.
During the summit, the member nations signed the New Delhi Declaration coined by the
Indian Government to fight against terrorism. It envisages developing common
principles and approaches to form a unified list of terrorist, separatist and extremist
organizations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the SCO Member
States.

Third World Hindu Conference to be organized in Bangkok

The World Hindu Foundation has announced that the third World Hindu Congress
(WHC) will be held in Bangkok in November 2023. The three-day event, known as
Vishwa Hindu Sammelan, will take place at the Convention Center in Bangkok. With the
theme "Jayasya Aayatnam Dharmah" meaning "Dharma, the Abode of Victory," the
conference will focus on exploring opportunities and addressing challenges faced by the
global Hindu community.

U20 chair city Ahmedabad hosted U20 Mayoral Summit 2023 in Gandhinagar,
Gujarat
Ahmedabad (Gujarat), the Chair City of Urban 20(U20) 2023, hosted the 2-day U20
Mayoral Summit 2023 from 7th to 8th July 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Summit
concluded with the handover of the Communiqué from the Mayors to G20 leaders.
• Kiritkumar J Parmar, Mayor of Ahmedabad handed over the Communique to Hardeep
Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Amitabh Kant, G20 (Group of
20) Sherpa.
• The handover was moderated by the U20 convenors, C40 Cities and United Cities and
Local Governments (UCLG).

Henley Passport Index 2023: Indian passport ranks 80th; Gives Visa-Free Entry to
57 Countries
According to the Henley Passport Index 2023 (3rd quarter) released by Henley &
Partners, a London-
based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, ranked India's passport at the
80th spot moving it up five places from its position in 2022 providing visa-free or visas
on arrival access to 57 countries. Singapore is the world's most powerful passport with
visa-free access to 192 travel destinations out of 227 worldwide.

London is the no.1 student-friendly city in the world

London, the uk's capital city, has been ranked as the best student-friendly city in the
world. Quack Quarelli Symonds has compiled a list of student-friendly cities for the year
2024. Just like last year, the city of London has topped the list this time as well.
It was followed by Tokyo in Japan, Seoul in South Korea, Melbourne in Australia and
Munich in Germany at the second, third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Tokyo
2023 is ranked seventh on the list. This time it has improved five places to be in the
second place. The rankings of the rest of the cities have not changed much.
Paris in France, Sydney in Australia, Berlin in Germany, Zurich in Switzerland and
Boston in Massachusetts are ranked 6th to 10th, respectively. Both Berlin and Zurich
are ranked 8th. In the 2023 list, Zurich is ranked 4th and Berlin is ranked 6th.
Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, has been ranked 2024th in the 118 list of student-
friendly cities. Similarly, Mumbai has also emerged as the no.1 student-friendly city in
the country. Similarly, India's capital Delhi is ranked 132nd, Karnataka's capital
Bengaluru is ranked 147th and Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai is ranked 151st.

13.5 crore Indians Multidimensional Poverty in 5 years

According to the latest NITI Aayog report, India has achieved a remarkable feat in its
efforts to reduce multidimensional poverty.
Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, a staggering 13.5 crore people moved out of
multidimensional poverty, showcasing the country's commitment to sustainable and
equitable development.

Export Preparedness Report, 2022

The third edition of the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for States/UTs of India for the
year 2022 is set to be released by NITI Aayog on July 17, 2023. This index assesses the
export performance of Indian states and Us, considering the global trade context in
FY22.
The report emphasizes the importance of developing districts as export hubs and
conducts a district-level analysis of merchandise exports in the country.
Snakebite deaths due to negligence.. 60 thousand people die every year due to
lack of better treatment: CCMB
60 thousand people die every year across the country
75% mortality rate without timely better treatment
CCMB revealed in the latest study report
Even though modern medical procedures are available, many people still believe in natu
medical procedures. 60,000 people die every year due to lack of better treatment during
the golden hours (within the first 3 hours), especially for those who have been bitten by
snakes. Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) concluded in the latest study
report that 75 to 80% of them die due to medical neglect. CCMB released this report on
the occasion of International Snake Day. The report stated that even though natu
treatment gives good results to snakebite victims in some cases, they have to lose their
lives in difficult times. More than 60 types of venomous snakes survive in our country.
Most of the people who have been bitten by these do not have knowledge about first aid,
resorting to natu medicine,

UNESCO wants a Global Smartphone ban in Schools

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has urged
to prohibit the use of smartphones in schools, asserting the need for a more "human-
centred vision" of education.
• The main reason behind the UNESCO's decision to worldwide prohibition on
smartphones in schools is to reduce the dependence on digital technology and
encourage better learning outcomes.
• The excessive use of digital technology or smartphones in educational sector is likely
to reduce the educational performance which adversely impacting the children
emotional ability.

Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC) 2023 and Global Parliamentary Pact
The Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC) 2023 released recently estimated that
between 691 million and 783 million people in the world suffered from hunger in 2022
( showing levels far higher than pre-pandemic 2019).

30% increase in violence against women in the country

The National Commission for Women (NCW) report says that violence against women
has increased across the country. It said that in 2021, 23,700 cases of crimes against
women were registered, while in 2022, 30,957 complaints were registered, increasing
by 30 percent. More than half of these 16,872 (54.5 percent) complaints came from
Uttar Pradesh. Delhi is at the second position, while Maharashtra is at the third position.
In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Smriti Irani revealed that the
number of cases of dowry harassment, rape and attempted rape against women has
increased in 2022.

66% of NRIs are from Gulf countries

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 88.8 lakh (66%) of the 1.34 crore non-
resident Indians (NRIs) are staying in the six Gulf countries. In response to the law
application. Abhay Kolarkar from Nagpur made this application. Indians are diaspora in
210 countries. There are 34 lakh people in the Gulf countries in the UAE alone. If we
look at other countries except the Gulf, there are 12.8 lakh people in America, 3.5 lakh
people in Britain and 2.4 lakh people in Australia. According to the Center,
there are 31 lakh people of Indian origin (PIOs) in America.

WTO's WTSR 2023 Report: India Ranked 18th Among Merchandise Exports
According to the World Trade Statistical Review 2023, (WTSR 2023) the annual flagship
publication of the World Trade Organization (WTO) featuring key data on global trade
in merchandise and commercial services, India is ranked 18th among the Leading
exporters in world merchandise trade (2022).
• India is ranked 9th among the merchandise importers.
• China, the United States of America (USA), and Germany are the top 3 exporters in
world merchandise trade 2022.
• USA, China and Germany are the top 3 importers in World Merchandise Trade
2022.
• India is ranked globally 7th among exporters and 9th among importers in world in
commercial services 2022.

India ranks 6th in South Asia region for Internet Resilience

India, a rapidly developing nation in the realm of technology and connectivity, has
achieved an overall score of 43 percent in the Internet Resilience Index (IRl). This
achievement positions India as the sixth-ranked country in the South Asian region.
Uttar Pradesh Records Maximum Cases of Cancer
• According to the Indian Council of Medical Research Cancer Registry data, Uttar
Pradesh, registered the highest count of cancer cases in India. During the year 2022, the
state documented an astonishing 210,000 new cases, marking a significant uptick from
the 201,000 cases registered in 2020.
• The state of Uttar Pradesh also logged the highest count of fatalities linked to cancer,
with a remarkable 116,818 individuals succumbing to this formidable ailment. The
mortality rate in Uttar Pradesh was on par with the national average, while
Maharashtra ranked second in terms of fatalities.
• In response to the growing cancer crisis, the Union government has implemented a
range of initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access for cancer
patients.Government hospitals offer either free or highly subsidized treatment for
cancer patients in need.

Andhra Pradesh ranks third in Tomato production

Andhra Pradesh's share of the country's total is 11.30 per cent.
The state produced 2022.23 lakh metric tonnes in 23-37
The rise in prices is due to reduced production in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and
Maharashtra.
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms that have damaged the crop
NABARD's latest report on tomato price rise, issues
Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the third largest producer of tomatoes in the country.
The state produced 2022.23 lakh metric tonnes of tomatoes in 23-37. With this, the
state's share in the country's total tomato production stood at 11.30 per cent. Nabard
released a report on the reasons and issues related to the recent rise in tomato prices.
According to the report, production in 2022-23, mainly in tomato-growing states in the
country, declined sharply. In contrast, Andhra Pradesh recorded a growth of 2022.23
per cent in 1-50 compared to the previous financial year.

By 2050, 100billion people in the world will have arthritis.

Published in the Lancet Rheumatology Journal.
A research paper published in the Lancet Rheumatology journal says that by 2050, more
than a billion people in the world will have to live with arthritis. About 30% of the
world's people aged 15 years and above are currently suffering from the condition. The
study was based on an analysis of data collected from 1990 countries over the period
between 2020 and 200. In 1990, 25.60 crore people were infected, but by 2020, it has
increased to 59 million (50%). It was developed by the Health Statistics Assessment
Agency (IHME) of Washington as part of the 'Global Disease Burden Study Report 132'.

Telangana is the first state in the country to increase the area of paddy
During the current kharif season, the area under cultivation of two crops in Telangana
has increased by 4.65 lakh hectares. The cultivation of four crops has come down by
1.92 lakh hectares.
The area under cultivation of two crops in Telangana has increased by 4.65 lakh
hectares during the ongoing monsoon (Kharif) season. The cultivation of four crops has
come down by 1.92 lakh hectares. This was revealed by the data released by the Union
Agriculture Ministry on Monday. The latest figures collected till The 18th of this month
have been released. Paddy and oilseed cultivation in the state has increased for more
than two years. Compared to the same period last year, paddy increased by 4.42 lakh
hectares and oilseeds by 0.23 lakh hectares. The area under paddy cultivation across the
country has increased by 15 lakh hectares. Of this, 30% is from Telangana. Telangana
ranks first in the country in this regard. It is followed by Bihar, Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand. Compared to the same period last year, pulses cultivation in the state
declined by 0.37 lakh hectares, millets by 0.01 lakh hectares, sugarcane by 0.08 lakh
hectares and cotton by 1.46 lakh hectares. Pulses cultivation has fallen to a five-year
low. The area under cultivation of tur, millet and lentils has come down drastically. The
cultivation of millets has come down from the last two years. Sugarcane cultivation has
come down from last year and cotton has come down from the last three years. The
condition of maize is better than last year.

Andhra Pradesh ranks 7th in the country in the exports of Millets.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar,
West Bengal, Telangana and Tamil Nadu are in the top six positions. It also states that
India is among the top five exporters of snacks. In this context, it has been said that
1,69,049.22 metric tons of Millets have been exported from the country to five countries
in the financial year 2022-23. Out of this, 17.8 percent was exported to United Arab
Emirates, 13.7 percent to Saudi Arabia, 7.4 percent to Nepal, 4.9 percent to Bangladesh
and 4.4 percent to Japan, the center said. It explained that the central government is
taking measures to promote local consumption and exports along with increasing the
production of Millets in various states of the country due to the high demand for them in
other countries. As part of this, the Agricultural-Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) has directed the central government to promote the
export of Millets, the ministry said. It said that help will be provided to the exporters.
State wise exports of Millets in 2022-23 (in metric tonnes)
State export
Gujarat=78,106.15
Maharashtra=50,486.43
Bihar=19.917.76
West Bengal=12,587.49
Tamil Nadu=2.952.63
Telangana=1,680.25
Andhra Pradesh =1.319.78
Karnataka=429.25
Rajasthan=405.71
Madhya Pradesh=345.76

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan releases 'State of School Education in Rural

India' report
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education released India's first "State
of School (Elementary) Education in Rural India" report during the Transforming Rural
India (TRI)'s India Rural Colloquy 2023 (IRC) held in India Habitat Centre, New Delhi,
Delhi.
• The report revealed that a total of 78% of parents of girls and 82% of parents of boys
wanted to educate their children to graduation and above.
• The report aims to provide data along with the right analytics and insights to stimulate
the development of rural India.

The best attractive city is Indore

The Government of India has announced awards as part of the 'Smart Cities' project to
provide the highest quality of life to the people, develop infrastructure and make the
surroundings clean.
Indoor bagged the first position in the fourth India Smart City-2022 awards
competition. Surat and Agra were ranked second and third respectively. Kakinada won
the second prize in the sanitation department (solid waste management). Telangana did
not get a single award. The competition was launched by the Union Ministry of Urban
Development in Surat in April 2018, similar to what was conducted in 2019, 2020 and
2022. A total of 80 nominations were received from 845 smart cities who qualified to
participate in the competition, which were filtered out in five phases. President
Draupadi Murmu will present the awards at a ceremony to be held in Indore, Madhya
Pradesh on The 5th of next month. Amaravati, Kakinada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam
from Andhra Pradesh are in the list of 27 attractive cities selected by the central
government; Kakinada is the only one from Telangana to have bagged the second prize
in the sanitation category despite the presence of Greater Warangal and Karimnagar.
The smart city mission was launched by the then Urban Development Minister M
Venkaiah Naidu on June 2015, 25. So far, 2024,30 projects worth Rs 1,10,635 crore have
been completed under the scheme, which will end on June 6, 041. Another 60,095
projects worth Rs 1,894 crore are yet to be completed.
• National Attraction City: Indore (1st), Surat (2nd), Agra (3rd)
• First among union territories: Chandigarh
• Best State Award: Madhya Pradesh (1st), Tamil Nadu (2nd), Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh (3rd)
• Sanitation: 1. Indore (setting up of Gobardan bio-CNG plant), 2. Kakinada (Solid
Waste Management System), 3. Ahmedabad (Door-to-Door Waste Collection
Monitoring), 3. Chandigarh (Solid Waste Management)
Air Pollution in Delhi: Life in Delhi will be reduced by 11.9 years
The national capital continues to be the most polluted city in the world, according to a
new study. If the current pollution level continues in the same manner, people here are
at risk of losing a life expectancy of 11.9 years. This was revealed in the 'Air Quality Of
Life Index (AQLI)' released by the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute. It is
clear that the pollution here is much higher than the levels set by the World Health
Organization. According to the latest report, 67.4 per cent of the country's population
lives in areas where pollution levels are high. The average life expectancy of the
country's population has been reduced by 5.3 years due to 2.5 PM (pollution of
microscopic dust particles), it said.

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2023: Madhya Pradesh's IT Hub Indore Secures First

Rank
• The city of Indore has clinched the top spot in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2023
conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board, in the category of cities with a
population exceeding 10 lakhs.
• Indore's remarkable performance was underpinned by its impressive score of 187 out
of 200, a testament to its robust and comprehensive measures for environmental
preservation. Bhopal secured a respectable fifth position with a score of 181, while
Jabalpur and Gwalior secured the 13th and 41st positions with scores of 172 and 114,
respectively.

6th Census Report on Minor Irrigation (MI) Schemes

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has released the 6th census report on minor irrigation (MI)
schemes, providing crucial data for effective planning and policy-making in this sector.
Key Highlights:
• The census reveals that there are a total of 23.14 million minor irrigation schemes in
India, with 94.8% (21.93 million) being Ground Water (GW) schemes and 5.2% (1.21
million) being Surface Water (SW) schemes.
• Uttar Pradesh holds the highest number of MI schemes, followed by Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• The report indicates a growth of 1.42 million MI schemes compared to the previous
census, with a 6.9% increase in GW schemes and a 1.2% increase in SW schemes.
• The ownership of MI schemes is primarily private (96.6%), with a notable finding that
18.1% of individually owned schemes are owned by women.

The state ranks 5th in minor irrigation

• Disclosures in National Minor Irrigation Resource Census
• State share of 7.3% at national level in number of minor resources
• 95.8 percent of resources under private ownership
• Submersible pumps for 81% percent resources
Telangana State ranks fifth in the country in the number of small irrigation
sources. It ranks 5th in underground resources and 3rd in surface resources. There
are 16,79,868 minor irrigation sources in the state, out of
which16,79,868 (94%) are ground water sources and 1,00,619 (6%) are surface water
sources. This has been clarified in the 6th Census Report of Minor Irrigation Resources
recently announced by the Central Hydropower Department. This report is based on the
statistics of 2017-18. Compared to 5th Census resources have increased in the state by
15,22,292 (10.4%). The state's share of the total minor irrigation resources in the
country is 7.3 percent.

State of India's Birds 2023: 60% of bird species in India declined over 30 yrs
According to the report titled "State of India's Birds 2023: Range, Trends and
Conservation Status", out of the 338 bird species studied in India, 60% of bird species
have declined over the past 30 years.
• The 2023 report is the 2nd iteration of the State of India's Birds report.
• The report was produced as a partnership between 13 organisations which includes
the Bombay Natural History
Society (BNHS), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and the Zoological Survey of India
(ZSI).
About State of India's Birds 2023:
The report was created to assess the conservation status of the migratory species that
regularly occur in India.
Note: "State of India's Birds 2020" was the 1st attempt to assess the conservation status
of the majority of India's bird species.
Method: The primary data of the report is based on the 30 million observations
uploaded by Indian birdwatchers to eBird, an online birding notebook.

50% increased risk of cancer in people under the age of 79

A new study has revealed some worrying facts about the increasing number of cancer
cases across the globe. According to the leading journal BMJ Oncology, there has been a
50 per cent increase in the number of new cases of cancer among those under the age of
79. The report revealed details of the study for the last 30 years. The study was
conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The findings
are as follows:
Since the 1990s, cases of bronchial and prostate cancer have increased rapidly. Breast,
respiratory tract, lung, bowel and stomach cancers are the leading causes of death.
Breast cancer cases were the highest in 2019 among cancers detected at an early age.
The risk of developing cancer at an early age is expected to increase to 2030 per cent in
31. The number of related deaths is also expected to rise by 21 per cent.
Those in their 40s are more likely to be at risk. However, the number of new cases of
liver cancer declined by almost 2.88 per cent year-on-year.
In 50, more than a million people under the age of 2019 died from cancer globally. This
number is 1990 per cent higher than in 28.
After breast cancer, the majority of people die from trachea, lung, stomach and intestine
cancer. The number of deaths due to kidney and ovarian cancer has increased. New
cancer cases in low-income countries are affecting women more than men.
These are the causes of cancer.
Genetic factors are one of the reasons for cancer. Also, eat mutton (hunting meat) and
salt-rich foods. Low consumption of milk and fruits are factors that increase the risk of
cancer.
Alcohol consumption and tobacco use are the major cancerous factors in people under
the age of 50. Lack of physical activity, overweight and high BP are also increasing the
risk of cancer.
Jal Jeevan Mission Achieves Milestone of 13 Crore Rural Households Tap
Connections
• The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has provided tap water connections to an impressive 13
crore rural households, marking a remarkable journey since its launch on India's 73rd
Independence Day, August 15, 2019.
• This mission, guided by the principles of speed and scale, has rapidly expanded access
to clean water in rural areas, progressing from 3.23 crore households in August 2019 to
the current milestone in just four years.
• Several states and union territories, including Goa, Telangana, Haryana, Gujarat,
Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and the
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, have achieved 100% tap water coverage. Across the nation,
145 districts and 1,86,818 villages report 100% coverage, underscoring the mission's
wide-reaching impact.

3-fold depletion of groundwater by 2080

• Latest study alert
Experts warn that due to increasing global temperature on one side and unlimited
extraction of underground water on the other side, there will be severe water shortage
in India in the future. Especially in our country, farmers are mostly dependent on
groundwater for agriculture. A study has revealed that if farmers continue to draw
groundwater in the same way, by 2080 the depletion of groundwater will triple the
current level, threatening food and water security in the country. A research report
published in the Science Advances journal has warned that the amount of underground
water will decrease significantly in the coming period, which will become a problem for
the lives of 140 crore citizens of the country, according to the research done by the
University of Michigan in the United States. Professor Meha Jain, one of the researchers,
said that India ranks first in over-exploitation of groundwater, which will also pose a
threat to food security in the future.
India ranks 30th in U.S. News & World Report's Best Countries 2023, Switzerland
Tops
According to the 8th edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Countries Rankings
2023, India improved its ranking by one spot to claim 30th rank in 2023 with overall
score of 40.8. India was ranked 31 out of 85 in 2022.
ii. The list is topped by Switzerland, among 87 countries, for the second consecutive
time and sixth time overall.
iii. Switzerland is followed by Canada at 2nd rank, and Sweden at 3rd rank.
iv.India's best performance came in the 'Movers' category by grabbing the 5th spot.
About U.S. News & World Report:
Executive Chairman & CEO- Eric Gertler
Headquarters- Washington DC., United States of America
Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2023
Indore, Amravati, Parwanoo Tops in Category -1,2 & 3 Respectively Union Minister
Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has
given awards to the 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan-2023' winners on the occasion of the
"International Day of Clear Air for Blue Sky" on 7th September 2023, at Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh.
• "Swachh Vayu Survekshan- 2023' was conducted by the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB) under the initiative of the MoEFCC.
• The 2nd edition of Swachh Vayu Survekshan took place in 2023.
'National Clean Air City' Awards:
Category 1: Indore (Madhya Pradesh) secured the first rank followed by Agra (Uttar
Pradesh) and Thane (Maharashtra) in the second and third place respectively.
• Those cities with a population above 10 lakh fall under category 1.
India ranks 87th in economic freedom index
India has been ranked 87th out of 165 countries in the Economic Freedom Index. India
was ranked 86th a year ago but has now dropped one place. The annual report titled
'Economic Freedom of the World: 2021', prepared in collaboration with Canada-based
Fraser Institute and Delhi-based Centre for Civil Society. Accordingly, from 1980 to the
current year, India's rating has increased from 4.90 per cent to 6.62 per cent, but the
ranking has dropped marginally. While India's situation is improving, it seems to be
lagging in terms of economic freedom compared to other countries. But in South Asia,
India is doing well. Singapore topped the index. It is followed by Hong Kong,
Switzerland, New Zealand, the US, Ireland, Denmark, Australia, the UK and Canada.
India is Ranked 52nd in Digital Quality of Life Index 2023, France tops.
According to the 2023 Digital Quality of Life (DQL)Index, the 5th edition of the annual
DQL Index by Surfshark Limited, India has raised to 52nd rank with a ranking index of
0.5154 from 59th rank in 2022.
• The Index featuring 121 countries is topped by France with a ranking index of 0.7902
followed by Finland, Denmark, Germany, and Luxembourg.
• In Asia (regional ranking) India is ranked 13, with Singapore (global rank 10) at the
top.
The bottom five countries - Tajikistan (117), Ethiopia (118), Mozambique (119),
Democratic Republic of the Congo (120) and Yemen (121).
5 pillars:
The DQL index raked the 121 countries by their digital wellbeing based on five pillars
(with each pillar carries equal weightage of 20%):
• Internet affordability
• Internet quality
• Electronic infrastructure (e-infrastructure)
• Electronic security (e-security)
• Electronic government (e-government)
India's ranking in these 5 pillars:
Internet Affordability - 28th rank, Internet Quality-16th rank, Electronic Infrastructure -
91st rank, Electronic Security - 66th rank and Electronic Government - 35th rank.
Morning Consult Survey: PM Modi Retained the Most Popular Global Leader title
with 76% rating.
According to the "Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker" survey released by the United
States of America (USA) based consulting firm Morning Consult, Narendra Modi, Prime
Minister (PM) of India has been named the "Most Popular Global World Leader" with an
approval rating of 76% (highest in the world). Modi received 18% disapproval and 5%
did not give an opinion.
• Previously Modi topped the list in 2022 and 2021 as "Most Popular Global Leader ".
• Alain Berset, President of Switzerland is ranked 2nd (64%) followed by Andres
Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico at 3rd rank (61%). Leaders among the Top
5 include Luiz da Silva, President of Brazil (4th - 49%); Anthony Albanese, PM of
Australia (5th - 48%).
S&P Global Upgrades India's FY24 Growth Forecast To 6.6%
S&P Global Market Intelligence has reevaluated India's economic growth prospects for
the fiscal vear 2024 (FY24).
This upward revision is attributed to robust economic performance in the April-June
quarter. Notably, the revised projection stands at 6.6%, a significant improvement from
the 5.9% estimate put forth by the analytics firm in August.
Infosys has been named in the list of worlds 100 best companies.
Time magazine has released the list of the 100 best companies in the world. In this,
Microsoft stands at the top position. Google's parent company Alphabet and Meta
Platforms are in the next positions. Only one Indian company managed to secure a place
in this list. Infosys, one of the domestic tech giants, has been ranked 64th in this time's
100 best companies list-2023. Infosys became the third professional services company
to feature in Time's latest list. Accenture and Deloitte are ahead of this. A total of 1.5
lakh employees were surveyed in 58 countries.
8 Indian companies in 750: Time's top 750 companies from India include Infosys, Wipro
(174), Mahindra Group (210), Reliance Industries (248), HCL (262), HDFC Bank (418),
WNS Global Services (596) and ITC (672).
World Bank & UNICEF Report: Every second extreme poor in the world is a child.
According to the report "Global Trends in Child Monetary Poverty According to
International Poverty Lines" prepared by the World Bank Group and United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), in 2022, children accounted for 52.5% of the total extreme
poor population in the world i.e., every 2nd extreme poor person in the world is a child.
• About 11.5 % (52 million) of Indian children live in extremely poor households.
About the Report:
i.This was the third report by the World Bank and UNICEF, including their two reports
in 2016 and 2020.
ii.The report presented estimated trends in child poverty from 2013 to 2022, based on
three international poverty lines: USD 2.15 (extreme poverty), USD 3.65 (lower middle
income), and USD 6.85 (upper middle income.
There are 47 lakh Indians in America
It has been found that there are about 47 lakh Indians living in America. To this extent,
the details of the 2020 caste-wise comprehensive census were released on September
21. This time, the calculations, which are made every ten years, were revealed three
years later. Related sources said that the reason for this is due to the severity of the
Corona epidemic and privacy protection measures. According to the census, most
foreigners living in America are Chinese. There are 52 lakh people belonging to that
country in Agraraj. The next position belongs to Indians. There are 44 lakhs of Filipinos
and 22 lakhs of Vietnamese people. It has been found that people from North Africa and
Venezuela are growing rapidly and their population is 35 lakhs.
India Ranks 40th In Global Innovation Index 2023
• India retains 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023
rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. India has been on a
rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a
rank of 81 in 2015 to 40 in 2023.
• This year, the NITI Aayog, in partnership with the CIl and the World Intellectual
Property Organisation (WIPO), is hosting, virtually, the India Launch of the (Global
Innovation Index) GIl 2023 on 29th September 2023.
• For the 13th year in a row, Switzerland is the most innovative economy in 2023
followed by Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.
India Slips Four Spots To 56th Position In 2023 World Talent Ranking
• The 2023 World Talent Ranking, released by the International Institute for
Management Development (IMD) on September 27th, has brought both good news and
areas of concern for India. While the nation has shown improvements in infrastructure,
it has slipped four spots to the 56th position (Out of 64 economies) compared to its
52nd position in the 2022 ranking.
• The IMD World Talent Ranking considers various factors, including the quality of life,
statutory minimum wage, and primary and secondary education. India performs
reasonably well in terms of future readiness, ranking 29th globally.However, the report
points out a critical issue: India's educational system ranks second to last (63rd) in
quality.
• In the IMD World Talent Ranking for 2023, Switzerland secured the top position,
followed by Luxembourg in second place, and Iceland, Belgium, and the Netherlands
rounding out the top five.
Chainalysis's Global Crypto Adoption Index 2023; India Tops Among 154 Nations
According to the 2023 Global Crypto Adoption Index released by Chainalysis, a crypto-
analysis firm, India has topped the index (rank 1), with a score of 1.0, among 154
countries. Previously, India was ranked 4th in the 2022 index.
• Nigeria and Vietnam stand at second and third rank with the index score of 0.642 and
0.568 respectively.
• This is the 4th annual Global Crypto Adoption Index. The first edition of the Index was
published in 2020.
Old India at the end of the century
• Growing seniors
• UN report reveals
The number of elderly people in the country has started to expand and the population of
elderly people will be higher by the end of this century, says a new report by the 'Ikyara
Jyasamithi Demographic Fund' (UNFPA). India is currently one of the countries with the
largest number of teenagers and young adults in the world. It is estimated that the
elderly population above sixty years will reach 10.1% in 2021, 15% by 2036 and 20.8%
by 2050. By 2099, it will reach 36 per cent per annum. The decrease in the number of
children under 15 years of age and the increase in the number of elderly people started
from 2010. That is an indicator that the country is aging, the report said. 'The elderly
population is growing at an unprecedented rate. By the middle of this century, their
number will outnumber children. By 2046, the elderly population will outnumber the 0-
14 age group. There is no doubt that Yuva Bharat will become an 'ageing India', says
UNFPA.
• Almost all states in the south, including Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, have a
population of more than the national average in 2021, and the number of elderly people
is projected to increase further by 2036, according to the Population Fund.
• States with high fertility rates such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will have a percentage
of elderly population above the national average between 2021-36. The number of
elderly people is increasing from low to high every decade. This growth slowed before
2001 but will accelerate in the coming decades.
• 2021 population estimates suggest that 39 out of every 100 people in the country will
be elderly. Compared to South and West India, Central and Northeast India have more
youth.
Drought conditions over 70 percent of the land
A 'down to earth' analysis of the climate situation in India
Out of 718 districts in India, more than 500 districts are experiencing drought
conditions, according to an organization called Down to Earth. The institute conducts
research on environmental politics and development in India. Down to Earth has
released a report on the current weather conditions in India. According to the report.
➢ Out of 718 districts, 500 districts i.e., more than 70 percent of the land are facing
drought conditions.
➢ Moderate/severe drought conditions prevailed in most parts of South India including
Northeast India, parts of East India, Jammu and Kashmir along with coastal
Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
➢ This time, in the monsoon season, the rains that should fall every day in August
stopped and gave breaks for a few days. Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the
Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, said that 70 percent of the drought in India is due to
the 'breaks' of the rains.
➢ 53 percent districts are experiencing moderate drought conditions.
➢ It has not rained for many days in August this year. Dry weather prevailed from 7th
to 18th. This month's absence of rain for so many days is the third longest break in the
21st century. This is the first time in the history of the last 128 years that such dry
weather has prevailed in August.
➢ Even if the area under cultivation in 2023 has increased by 33 percent compared to
the year 2022, it is not possible to say whether the yield will increase or decrease due to
reduced rains, said the Crop Weather Watch Group.
➢ It is noteworthy that nearly 20 states, which fall under the category of 'normal
rainfall' every year, have received below average rainfall this time.
➢ Looking at the long period of 1971-2020, this time the deficit in rainfall is five
percent.
91 Indian Universities in Time World Rankings
In the World University Rankings announced by Time Higher Education Magazine, a
record number of 91 universities from India got a place. Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore (IISC) entered the top-250. Many IITs, which are prestigious educational
institutions of the country, have not participated in these rankings for four years. Last
year 75 varsities got a place in the list, this time the number has increased to 91. Anna
University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Mahatma Gandhi University, Shulini University of
Biotechnology and Management Sciences have achieved ranks between 501-600.
UNFPA India and IIPS Releases India Ageing Report 2023
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India, along with the International Institute
for Population Sciences (IPS), unveiled 'Caring for Our Elders Institutional Responses:
India Ageing Report 2023'.
i. The India Ageing Report 2023 represents a thorough review of the living conditions
and welfare of older individuals in India.
ii. Senior citizen occupies 10% of India's population.By 2036, it will be 14.36%. In 2050
it will be 20.8% iii. The report highlights that woman had higher life expectancy at the
age of 60 and at the 80, when compared to men (with variations across States and Union
Territories)
iv. The report suggests enhanced geriatric care to address the unique healthcare
requirements of old aged people.
v. This report is an important resource for scholars, policymakers, program managers,
and all stakeholders involved in elder care.
About United Nations Population Fund (UNPA):
Executive Director - Natalia Kanem
Headquarters - New York, United States of America (USA)
Established in - 1969 (as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. Later its the
name was changed to the United Nations Population Fund in 1987)
Tamil Nadu tops in electric vehicle sales
40% sales in this state.
The popularity of electric vehicles (EV) is increasing in the country. This year, more
than 10 lakhs have already been sold across the country. Tamil Nadu is at the top with
the highest sales. To this extent, the Tamil Nadu government said in a statement quoting
the statistics released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. According to
statistics, 10,44,600 electric vehicles were registered across the country from January to
September this year. Of this, 4,14,802 vehicles were sold in Tamil Nadu alone. In this,
the largest number of Ola electric vehicles is 1.75 lakh, while TVS Motor has 1.12 lakh
vehicles. The Tamil Nadu government has stated in an official statement that the sales of
EVs have increased significantly in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and
Salem.

Global Hunger Index 2023: India's Decline to 111th Place

• In the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2023, India has been ranked 111 out of 125
countries, marking a decline from its 107th position in 2022. The GHI is an annual
assessment of hunger levels globally, published by Irish NGO Concern Worldwide and
German NGO Welt Hunger Hilfe.
• Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China and Croatia are the top five countries in
GHI 2023. Chad, Niger, Lesotho, Congo, Yemen, Madagascar, and Central African
Republic are the countries ranked at the bottom of the index.
• In comparison to neighboring countries, India's GHI ranking appears stark:
• India: 111th
• Pakistan: 102nd
• Bangladesh: 81st
• Nepal: 69th
• Sri Lanka: 60th

Mumbai Secures 19th Spot, Bengaluru 22nd And New Delhi 25th In The Knight
Frank Index
• London-based property consultant, Knight Frank, has recently unveiled its Global
Prime Residential Index, providing insight into the performance of various cities across
the world in the residential real estate market.
• With an astonishing annual percentage change of six percent, Mumbai has ascended
76 places to secure the 19th position on the index, a significant improvement from its
95th position in Q2 2022.
Mercer CA Institute Global Pension Index 2023: India ranked 45th out of 47;
Netherland tops.
According to the 15th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI 2023),
India is ranked 45th out of 47 countries. The overall index value of India increased from
44.5 in 2022 to 45.9 in 2023. India was ranked 41st out of 44 in 2022.
• The 2023 Index is topped by the Netherlands with overall index value of 85.0,
followed by Iceland (83.5) and Denmark (81.3).
• With the lowest index value of 42.3, Argentina is ranked 47th in MCGPI 2023.
• The MCGPI 2023 compares 47 retirement income systems across the globe and covers
64% of the world's population.
• India's sub-indices values were adequacy (41.9), sustainability (43.0), and integrity
(56.5).
About Mercer:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Martine Ferland
Headquarters- New York, United States Established - 1945

The organ donation process is dominated by women.

More women agree to donate organs than men... NOTTO has introduced a website that
provides Aadhaar authentication signatures for organ donation. As of September 16,
82,000 people had pledged to donate organs... In terms of organ donation volunteering,
Madhya Pradesh (18,847) and Telangana (11,564) followed behind as the top two
states. Maharashtra ranked first with 23,369 volunteers.

Global Remote Work Index, India Among World's Worst Countries

• In a significant shift in the global remote work landscape, India has been ranked 64th
out of 108 countries in the Global Remote Work Index (GRWI). This marks a substantial
decline of 15 places from the previous year, raising concerns about the country's
readiness for remote work.
• India's remote work challenges are largely rooted in subpar digital and physical
infrastructure. The nation ranked 77th in this category, indicating that its e-
infrastructure is among the least developed globally (95th position). India's internet
services, although widely available, are plagued by issues of cost (78th) and quality
(70th), hampering remote work efficiency.
1 million deaths due to paralysis by 2050
Leading medical research organization 'The Lancet' has estimated that the number of
deaths due to paralysis will go up to 1 crore per year by 2050... If action is not taken
proper precautions, the cost would be yearly ₹2.3 lakh crore per person. These deaths
are higher in low- and middle-income countries... The number of deaths due to paralysis
in 2020 is 66 thousand. The report explains: Over the past 30 years, the number of
people who die or become disabled due to paralysis has doubled. In 2020, the death rate
due to paralysis is the highest in Asia with 61% and by 2050 it will reach 69%. Many
proposals have been put forward to reduce them.

MoRTH Report Road Accidents in India-2022

Accidents in India-2022", the annual report published by the Ministry of Road
Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The States and Union Territories (UTs) of India
reported a total of 4,61,312 road accidents during 2022.
• The accidents occurred during 2022 have claimed around 1,68,491 lives and caused
injuries to 4,43,366 persons.
• Compared to 2021, the records show an increase of 11.9% in accidents, 9.4% in
fatalities, and 15.3% in injuries. Tamil Nadu (TN) tops the list of States in Number of
Accidents for the 5th consecutive year. TN has reported 64,105 (13.9%) accidents in
2022.
UNCCD's Data: India Lost 30.51 Mn Ha of Healthy Land to Degradation From 2015-
19
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)'s first
data dashboard, around 30.51 million hectares (Ha) of healthy land in India were
degraded from 2015 to 2019.
• Around 9.45% of India's landmass was degraded as of 2019. This was 4.42% in 2015.
• India's total degraded land is equivalent to the size of 43 million football pitches.
• According to the UNCCD Data, between 2015 & 2019, the world lost at least 100
million ha of healthy and productive land every year.

11 lakh children in India missed 1st Measles shot in 2022: WHO-USCDC Report
According to "Progress Toward Measles Elimination- Worldwide, 2000-2022", a new
report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States (US)
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 11 lakh children in India
missed their Measles-containing-vaccine first-dose (MCV1) in 2022.
• Globally, India is featured among the top 10 countries with highest number of children
who missed their 1st dose.
• In 2022, 37 countries that witnessed large or disruptive outbreaks where India
reported around 40,967 measles.
Top 10 countries:
The 10 countries with the highest number of infants who did not receive MCV1 were
Nigeria (30 lakh), Democratic Republic of the Congo (18 lakh), Ethiopia (17 lakh), India
(11 lakh), Pakistan (11 lakh), Angola (8 lakh), Philippines (8 lakh), Indonesia (7 lakh),
Brazil (5 lakh), and Madagascar (5 lakh).

India had highest number of TB cases globally in 2022: WHO.

According to the report, India recorded 2.8 million (28.2 lakh) TB cases in 2022, with a
case fatality ratio of 12 per cent. Officials stated that “The best estimate of the number of
deaths in India from TB was 3,42,000 (3,31,000 among HIV-negative people and 11,000
among those with HIV).”
India accounted for the highest number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world in 2022,
representing a staggering 27 percent of the global burden, as revealed by the new
World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 Global TB report released.
Overall, 30 high burden TB countries accounted for 87 per cent of the world’s TB cases
in 2022. Among the top eight high burden countries, Indonesia (10 per cent), China (7.1
per cent), the Philippines (7.0 per cent), Pakistan (5.7 per cent), Nigeria (4.5 per cent),
Bangladesh (3.6 per cent), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (3.0 per cent) are
included.
According to the report, India recorded 2.8 million (28.2 lakh) TB cases in 2022, with a
case fatality ratio of 12 per cent. Officials stated that “The best estimate of the number of
deaths in India from TB was 3,42,000 (3,31,000 among HIV-negative people and 11,000
among those with HIV).”

'Hurun India Philanthropy List- 2023'

Hurun India Philanthropy List-2023 says that Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL
Technologies, has been the country's leader in philanthropy for the second year in a
row. Hurun India stated that he has donated Rs 2,042 crores during the year. According
to the 2022 report, he donated Rs 1161 crore during the previous year. According to the
report, the wealth of Shiv Na Dar is Rs 2.28 lakh crore.
❖ Azim Prem ji is second in this list with donations of Rs.1,774 crores, while Mukesh
Ambani is third with donations of Rs.376 crores.
❖ Kumaramangalam Birla (Rs. 287 crores) is at the fourth position and Gautham Adani
(Rs. 285 crores) is in the fifth position.
❖ Top-10 Bajaj family, Cyrus Poonawala, Adar Poonawala. Rohini Nilekani stood.
❖ Zerodha chief Nikhil Kamat (37) is the youngest on the list.
❖ In the country Rs. According to the report, the number of people who donated more
than 5 crores is 199. There are three Telugus in this. According to the report, Satish
Reddy's family of Dr. Reddy's has donated Rs.7 crore, Aurobindo Ramprasad Reddy's
family has donated Rs.14 crore, Divi's Labs head Divi Murali has donated Rs.22 crore.

53 accidents per hour, 19 deaths

• 11.9% accidents, 9.4% death growth in 2022
• Death knell in Vijayawada
• Decrease in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam
• Revealed in the report of the Central Roads and Transport Department
According to the (2022) report released by the Union Road and Transport Department,
the number of road accidents and deaths in the country has increased in 2022. The
report revealed that there were 53 accidents and 19 deaths per hour last year.
Compared to 2021, the number of accidents increased by 11.9%, deaths by 9.4%, and
injuries by 15.3% in 2022. In terms of accidents, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala,
Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and
Gujarat occupy the top ten positions. In terms of deaths, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and
Telangana are in the top ten positions. In 2021-22, Andhra Pradesh dropped from 7th to
8th rank and Telangana from 9th to 10th rank in terms of accidents. Most of the
accidents occurred in rural areas. Roads with potholes are more dangerous than
potholed roads. Among cities with a population of more than 10 lakhs, accidents have
increased by 10.69% in Hyderabad, but deaths have decreased by 1.67%. In
Visakhapatnam, accidents decreased by 34.54% and deaths by 2.71%. In Vijayawada,
accidents have increased by 25.65% and deaths by 45.64%.
• 21,249 (4.6%) accidents occurred in Andhra Pradesh. Compared to 2021 these are
307 (1.4%) down. In this regard, AP is ranked 9th in the country. Deaths occurred at
8293. This is 107 (1.31%) more than the previous year. In this regard, it is ranked 8th in
the country.
• 21,619 (4.7%) accidents occurred in Telangana. 304 (1.. 4%) more accidents than the
previous year. 8th in the country. Deaths occurred at 7553. 0.03% percent. Deaths
increased. In this regard, Telangana has been ranked 10th in the country.

Relatives and friends’ advice on body shape is preferred.

❖ Revealed in the recent survey
A survey shows that 76% Indians follow advice and recommendations from loved ones
and colleagues rather than film stars, sportspersons, and social media personalities
when It's about eating healthy and staying in shape. Fitness technology app Fitelo
surveyed 5,000 Indian men and women. 56% of Indians only want to lose weight if they
wear tight clothes. 46% only think about body weight when family members and
relatives say they have gained weight. People between 18 and 63 years old participated
in the survey. 77 percent of them are women. The survey conducted during Dussehra
and Diwali shows that they eat more when attending parties with relatives (57%),
during festive parties (44%) and when under mental stress (35%). 35% of women said
that due to increased family responsibilities and taking care of their children's
entertainment, they feel stressed and eat a little more. The survey concluded that
Indians (57%) who eat fast food high in sugar, salt and fat like Westerners do not want
to exercise as strenuously as Westerners do to lose weight. It's clear that they enjoy
simple exercises like walking and exercising while at home.

State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks Against India Went Up by 278% Between 2021

and September 2023: Report
According to the India Threat Landscape Report 2023 by Singapore-based cybersecurity
firm CyPharma, India is the most attacked country in the world, suffering 13.7% of all
cyber-attacks. State-sponsored cyberattacks against India increased by 278% from
2021 to September 2023, with service companies such as information technology (IT)
companies and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies recording the highest
proportion of attacks. A new report has found that. During this period, targeted
cyberattacks against government agencies increased by 460%, and attacks against
startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increased by a whopping
508%.
According to the India Threat Landscape Report 2023 by Singapore-based
cybersecurity firm CyPharma, India ranks 13th among the most attacked countries in
the world. 7% of all cyber-attacks. Kumar Ritesh, founder and managing director of
Cyfirma, said India also has a higher proportion of cyberattacks influenced by foreign
states compared to the global average.

Government organizations are the main target.

Globally, 13% of cyber-attacks in the past three years targeted Indian organizations and
businesses. The US ranked second with 9.6%, Indonesia third with 9.3% and China
fourth with 4.5%. Similarly, 0.4% for government organizations in India, 14.3% for IT-
BPO companies, 11.6% for manufacturing companies, 10% for healthcare, 10% for
educational institutions, 9.8% for online retail companies, 9.5% for banking companies,
8.3% for companies in the automobile and airline sectors. The report revealed that
6.1% of businesses were victims of cyber-attacks.

Indians form third largest illegal immigrant population in US.

According to the Pew Research Center, India is the third largest source of illegal
immigration to the United States after Mexico and El Salvador. By 2021, 7.25 lakh
Indians have entered the US illegally. Between 2007-2021, 1.05 crore foreigners
entered the US illegally. Most of them are Mexicans with 41 lakh people. Another 8-lakh
people came from El Salvador.

There are ten lakh teacher vacancies in the country.

• Additional teacher cadre should be created: NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog's recently released 'Saat' (Sustainable Action for Transforming Human
Capital) report says that there are more than 10 lakh teaching posts vacant in all the
states of the country. Concern has been expressed over the fact that 30 to 50% of these
posts are vacant in the states. It said that to avoid this shortage, an additional teacher
cadre should be created and large-scale filling of vacancies should be undertaken.
"There is a shortage of teachers in the country. Moreover, the available teachers are not
distributed evenly. Urban areas have the most teachers. Rural areas have more
vacancies. High results cannot be achieved with such huge vacancies. Besides, the
complexity of the recruitment process and legal challenges are becoming obstacles to
fill the vacancies. Government teachers are paid Salaries double the wages paid to the
best teachers in the private sector. Therefore, rationalization of teachers should be
undertaken. Most of the teachers in urban areas should be sent to rural areas. 2-5 lakh
people in primary and secondary schools are not properly trained. As a result, they are
failing to meet the objectives of the Right to Education Act," the report revealed.

4 of 5 living organ donors in India are women, 4 of 5 recipient’s men: Study.

Women show endless generosity towards their family members in organ donation.
Husbands, parents, and their children do not hesitate to donate organs. However, a
recent study has revealed that the same response is not present in the case of women
from other members of the family, and gender disparities in organ donation are extreme
in our country. Citing the statistics of the 'National Organ and Tissue Transplant
Organization' (NVTVO), it states that 80 percent of the organ donors are women and 80
percent of the recipients are men. A total of 36,640 organ transplant operations were
performed in our country from 1995 to 2021, of which 29,000 recipients were men and
only 6,945 were women. Experts said that on an average, a woman is the recipient of
only one out of five surgeries. Experts opined that social, economic and cultural
influence on women and fear of surgical treatments have led to gender inequality.

Milk production in India increased by 22.81% in past 5 years.

Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Minister Purushottam Rupa revealed that
milk production in the country has increased by 22.81 percent in the last five years and
Uttar Pradesh is ahead of other states with 15.72 percent of the total production. He
released the details of his department for the financial year 2022-23 in Guwahati on
National Milk Day (November 26). Milk production in the country is estimated at 230.58
million tonnes for the year 2022-23. But if we look at it from 2018-19, we have achieved
22.81 percent growth in the last five years. The minister said that in the last five years,
33.1 percent growth in egg production, 20.39 percent growth in meat production and
16.84 percent growth in wool production has been recorded.

World Press Freedom Index 2023: India ranks 161 out of 180 countries
According to the latest report from global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders
(RSF), India has slipped to the 161st position out of 180 countries in the 2023 World
Press Freedom Index.
The report was released by RS, and it indicates a decline in India's ranking for press
freedom.
Nordic countries like Norway, Ireland, and Denmark ranked top three respectively
while Vietnam, China, and North Korea were the bottom three countries on the index.
'Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: Challenges and an Urgent Call for Action for
Equitable Digital Skills Development'
According to the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) report 'Bridging the Gender
Digital Divide: Challenges and an Urgent Call for Action for Equitable Digital Skills
Development' Around 90% (9 out of 10) of adolescent girls and young women aged 15-
24 in low-income countries have are offline (no access to the internet. compared to 78%
of adolescent boys and young men of the same age who do not use the internet.
Key Findings of the Report:
i.The report highlights that a majority of youth in low- and middle-income countries are
not connected to the internet, have limited digital skills, and do not own a mobile phone.
ii.Among 54 countries and territories analysed, only eight have achieved gender parity
in internet use among youth.
iii.Among regions, the largest gap is observed in South Asia, favouring adolescent boys
and young men by 27% points.

India's AI Supercomputer 'Airawat' Ranked 75th in Top 500 Global

Supercomputing List
i.On May 24, 2023, India's AI (Artificial Intelligence) Supercomputer 'AIRAWAT', has
been ranked 75th globally in the 61st edition of Top 500 Global Supercomputing List
which was released at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023) in
Germany.
ii.AIRAWAT or AI Research Analytics and Knowledge Dissemination Platform is
installed at C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), Pune
(Maharashtra) under National Program on AI (NPAI) by the Government of India.
iii. The list has been topped by the United States (US) Frontier. This HPE Cray EX system
is the first US system with a performance exceeding one Exaflop/s (EXA Floating Point
Operations per Second).

IME 2023 Report: 18.7% Indian Children were Affected by Wasting

According to ' Levels and trends in child malnutrition: United Nations Children’s
Fund/World Health Organization/International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, The World Bank Group: the Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates
(UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group: JME) key findings of the 2023 edition' report
released on May 23, 2023, 18.7% of Indian children were affected by wasting in 2020
due to poor nutrient intake and/or recurrent illnesses.
• In 2022, globally, 148.1 million children under the age of 5 years were stunted, 45
million wasted, and 37 million overweight.
Key Findings of the Report:
i. India is the largest country in southern Asia, which has half of all children with
wasting in the world live.
ii. In 2022, an estimated 45 million children under five (6.8%) were affected by wasting
globally, of which 13.6 million (2.1%) were suffering from severe wasting.
iii.More than three quarters of all children with severe wasting live in Asia and another
22% live in Africa.
iv.India had a stunting rate of 31.7% in 2022, compared to 41.6 % in 2012, a decade ago.
v.India had an overweight percentage of 2.8% in 2022, compared to 2.2% in 2012.

The Global Report on Internal Displacement 2023 (GRID-2023)

The Global Report on Internal Displacement 2023 (GRID-2023), published by the
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, sheds light on the significant increase in the
number of people displaced by disasters in 2022. The report highlights the impact of
weather-related events, the role of La Niña, and the regional variations in
displacements.
According to GRID-2023, the number of people displaced by disasters in 2022 rose by
40% compared to 2021.
The report emphasizes that 98% of disaster displacements in 2022 were triggered by
weather-related events. Floods and storms played a significant role, accounting for 6 out
of 10 disaster displacements. This marked the first time since 2016 that storms
surpassed other causes of displacement.
Pakistan topped the list of countries with the highest number of disaster displacements
in 2022, recording 8.16 million displacements. India ranked fourth, with 2.5 million
displacements. These figures indicate the significant impact of disasters on these
nations and the urgent need for effective disaster management and response strategies.

High street in country: Knight Frank survey

In a primary survey conducted by Knight Frank, a global real estate consultancy, it was
revealed that Somajiguda has been ranked as the second-best high street in India.
Bengaluru's MG Road tops the list followed by Somajiguda (Hyderabad), Linking Road
(Mumbai), South Extension (Delhi), Park Street and Carnac Street (Kolkata), Anna Nagar
(Chennai), Commercial Street (Bengaluru), Sector 18 Market (Noida), Brigade Road
(Bengaluru) and Church Street (Bengaluru).
The ranking study is part of Knight Frank India's flagship annual retail report Think
India Think Retail 2023 – High Street Real Estate Outlook' in association with Phygital
Retail Convention 2023.
The study was conducted for 30 high streets across the top eight cities of India based on
parameters that determine the quality of experience high streets provide to customers.

Netherlands becomes India's 3rd Largest Export Destination in FY23 after US, UAE
As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Netherlands emerged as
the 3rd largest export destination for India in Financial Year 2023-23 (FY23) after the
United States (US) and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

UNEP Report: Measures to Reduce 80% of World's Plastic Pollution by 2040

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)'s report "Turning off the Tap: How the
world can
end plastic pollution and Create a circular economy” state that global plastic pollution
can be reduced by up to 80% by 2040 if the companies and countries make policies and
market shifts using existing technologies.
The report released ahead of the second round of negotiations in Paris, France, is aimed
at agreeing to a world-first international plastics treaty to beat plastic pollution.
The treaty negotiations, known as INC2 (second meeting of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee), will take place from May 29 to June 2, 2023. The treaty would
address the whole life of plastics from production to disposal.

NITI Aayog's Health Index 2020-21

Kerala has emerged as the topmost performer in NITI Aayog's annual health index
report for 2020-21. Kerala came first in the previous years as well. Tamil Nadu and
Telangana are in the second and third positions.
The ranking is based on a composite scoring system with 24 health indicators in
collaboration with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the World
Bank. NITI Aayog determines the ranks of states and union territories on the basis of
year-on-year progress and overall performance. The ranks are divided into 19 large
states, 8 small states and 8 Union Territories. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana topped
the list of large states. Uttar Pradesh (18) and Bihar (19) are at the bottom.
Among the smaller states, Tripura, Sikkim and Goa topped the rankings, while Manipur
fell to the bottom. Lakshadweep ranks first among Union Territories and Delhi at last.
The annual health index, which measures the performance of states and UTs on a
"weighted composite score incorporating 24 health performance indicators", was
launched by the NITI Aayog in 2017.

India further down in media freedom

India has fallen even lower in media freedom. World Media Freedom Index-2023 ranks
161st. India, which was ranked 150 last year, has dropped 11 ranks to 161 this time.
Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) publishes this freedom index
every year on World Media Freedom Day. It assigns ranks to a total of 180 countries. It
is noteworthy that India has fallen further in the ranks announced this year. In this
index, Norway, Ireland and Denmark are in the first three positions while Vietnam,
China and North Korea are in the last three positions.

Cut to 1.4 crore meters net in next five years, 2.6 crore jobs will be created with
AI: World Economic Forum estimates
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has predicted a sharp decline in job creation over
the next five years. It said that 6.9 crore new jobs will be created while 8.3 crore jobs
will disappear simultaneously. A bi-annual report released on Sunday in the name of '
Future of Jobs ' explained that net 1.4 crore jobs will be cut . It currently accounts for 2
percent of total global employment. In the next five years, 23 percent migration of
employees may take place worldwide. It is estimated that it may be up to 22 percent in
India. The WWEF conducted an extensive survey of nearly 67.3 crore jobs in 45 major
economies, 27 major industrial clusters and 800 leading companies worldwide.

The average salary of Indians is Rs.46,861

India is lagging behind most countries in terms of average monthly salary of employees
and workers, according to ' The World of Statistics ‘. Average monthly salary in India is
Rs.46,861. On the occasion of International Labor Day, World of Statistics has released
the statistics regarding the average monthly salaries in the countries of the world.
According to this data, 23 countries have an average monthly salary above one lakh
rupees in our currency. It is noteworthy that India is at the 65th position in this list with
an average salary of less than Rs.50 thousand. With an average salary of Rs.4,98,567,
Switzerland is at the first place. Luxembourg, Singapore and America are next. The
average monthly salary in China is Rs.87,426. The list of countries lagging behind India
includes Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
• Top 5 Countries in Average Monthly Salary (in Rs.)
Switzerland – Rs.4,98,567
Luxembourg – Rs.4 , 10 , 156
Singapore – Rs.4 , 08 , 030
America – Rs.3 , 47 , 181
Iceland – Rs. 3 , 27 , 716
75.9 crore people are using the Internet
Internet usage in the country is increasing day by day. Internet, which was limited to
cities and towns until a decade ago, is now available in villages. Due to this, the number
of internet users in the country has increased tremendously. According to a joint report
by IAMAI and Kantar, for the first time the number of internet users in the country has
crossed 50 percent of the total population. The report states that currently 75.9 crore
Indians are using the Internet.

Religious freedom at risk in India, Impose sanctions on government institutions

and individuals: USCIRF report to America
The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCRIF) has advised the
Biden government to impose restrictions on some Indian government institutions and
officials, alleging that religious freedom is in danger in India. In its latest report, it said
that this issue should be mentioned prominently in the bilateral discussions of both the
countries. The decline of religious freedom in India continued in 2022. Central, state and
local governments have taken measures to increase communalism at their level. Anti-
conversion laws, inter-faith marriages, hijab, cow slaughter etc. policies have been
designed to harm Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and Adivasis. " Minority people are
being arrested under UAPA, " alleged US CIRF. However, the US government is not
required to
follow the US CIRF guidelines.

Andhra Pradesh ranks 5th in the production of fruits and vegetables

Andhra Pradesh ranks 5th in the country in the production of fruits and vegetables. In
2011-12 at constant prices, AP's share in the yield of both was 5.8% , and by 2020-21 it
has reached 8.3%. The state rose from 7th to 5th position during this period of ten
years. The latest figures released by the Central Statistics Department revealed this. In
this regard, West Bengal (11.7%) , Madhya Pradesh (10.8%) , Uttar Pradesh (9.7%) ,
Maharashtra (9.6%) are ahead of Andhra Pradesh. The gross value of fruits and
vegetables produced in the state in 2011-12 was Rs. 16,500 crores while by 2020-21 Rs.
32,900 crores. It also ranked fourth in production with 7.9% share. It stands at the top
with a share of 40% in the country's fish products. The state continues to be at the first
position in this field since 2015-16. The state's share in fisheries production has
increased from 17.7% to 40% in ten years. AP has been standing first in banana
production since 2014-15. The share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries products in
the total Gross Value Added (GVA) at the national level was 18.5% in 2011-12 , but it
has increased to 20.3% by 2020-21.

India tops in maternal mortality

India has topped the list of top-10 countries with high rates of maternal mortality,
neonatal mortality and fetal mortality in the world. This was revealed in a report
released by the United Nations during the ' International Conference on Maternal,
Newborn and Child Health ' held in Cape Town. This report revealed that in 2020-2021,
maternal deaths (2.9 lakhs), fetal deaths (19 lakhs) and newborn deaths (23 lakhs)
totaled 45 lakh deaths worldwide. Out of the 45 lakh maternal deaths recorded
worldwide in 2020, 7.78 lakh deaths occurred in India alone. Fetal mortality was 17%.

Rich countries have more ' modern slavery '

A recent report revealed that more than half of the 50 million people in modern slavery
in the world are in 20 rich countries. To this extent , a 172-page report prepared by
Australia's ' Walk Free Foundation ', an international human rights organization, has
been released recently. The report estimates that slavery exists in 160 countries around
the world. ' Walk Free ' revealed that extensive house-to-house surveys and interviews
with the victims were conducted for the preparation of the report . "Modern slavery
permeates every aspect of society," said Grace Forrest, founding director of Walk Free.
The main points mentioned in the report.. Most of those living in ' modern slavery ' with
forced labor or forced marriage are in six G-20 countries. Numerically, there are 1.1
crore people in India, followed by China (58 lakh) , Russia (19 lakh) , Indonesia (18
lakh) , Turkey (13 lakh) , and America (11 lakh). By the end of 2021, 5 crore people will
be in ' modern slavery ' , according to a report prepared by 'Walk Free' in September
last year, along with ILO and IOM of the United Nations (UN) . Out of this, 2.8 crore
people are in forced labor and 2.2 crore are in forced marriages. Compared to 2016, the
number of such people has increased to one crore. Modern slavery is very prevalent in
North Korea , Eritrea , Mauritania , Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Forced labor is prevalent
in many sectors in every country , with child labor mostly involved in the cultivation of
coca beans, the report said. One of the goals set by the United Nations in 2015 is to
eradicate modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labor by 2030 . It will take more
time to achieve this goal due to stagnation in the actions of the governments and the
increasing number of such people. The report recommends that governments around
the world step up action to end modern slavery. Political will is the key for this, he said.

1.3 lakh people died in the country due to disasters , 50 years statistics revealed
by WWO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed that 1,98,377 people lost their
lives due to 573 natural disasters that occurred in the country between 1970 and 2021.
Around 20 lakh people have died due to 12 thousand disasters in the same period, Rs.
The WMO revealed that the damage was more than 35 lakh crores. These statistics were
announced on the occasion of the commencement of the WHO conference which is held
every four years. It is clear that there is much to be done to meet the target of improving
the early warning system for disasters by 2027. WWO Secretary General Pettery Talus
said... ' Due to extreme weather conditions, between 1970-2021, the loss of Rs. 14 lakh
crores were incurred in the United States alone. 9 out of 10 deaths are reported in
developing countries. The recent Cyclone Mocha, which shook Bangladesh and
Myanmar, proved that vulnerable groups are the most affected by such disasters. But
such typhoons used to kill in the hundreds, but as warning systems have improved, that
number has dropped to tens. While rising temperatures are causing human deaths,
most of the property damage is caused by floods. During the last 50 years, 3,600
disasters occurred in Asia, 9,84,263 people lost their lives. According to the WMO,
property damage of Rs.11 lakh crore has occurred.

By 2050, 80 crore people will suffer from back pain

Research has revealed that 84 crore people worldwide will suffer from back pain by
2050 due to the increase in the elderly population. It is said that most of these cases are
reported in Asian and African countries. The research paper was published in the
journal Lancet Rheumatology. As of 2017, the number of people suffering from back or
lower back pain is 50 crores and by 2020 it will reach 60 crores. Work environments,
smoking and obesity are the main causes of back pain, but it has become a common
problem among the elderly. This trend has been estimated based on the data from 1990
to 2020. Along with proper exercise, back pain awareness is also essential. Also,
scientific medical procedures are being promoted in many countries. They also need to
be addressed, ' says the research paper. The increasing number of back pain cases is
putting an unprecedented burden on the medical sector. There should be a plan at the
national level to deal with this situation. The guidelines and treatment methods that
doctors are following now may not give the expected results in the future,' said the
researchers involved in the study.

91 percent of infant deaths occur in low-income countries.

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF has revealed that 91
percent of premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. The main
reason for this is air pollution. The report assesses the relationship between climate
change and infant health. It has been said that climate change will affect child births and
their health through heat waves, storms, floods, droughts, fires, air pollution, migration
etc. This report makes it clear that financial resources are needed to change this
situation. These deaths are higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-
income countries, where climate change is the main cause. 15.6 percent of deaths in
low-birth-weight babies and 35.7 percent of deaths in premature babies are due to
increasing indoor air pollution. According to the research conducted in Gambia, for
every one degree increase in temperature, 17 percent more stress is placed on the fetus.
In India too, the health of infants and children is being affected more in the districts that
are most affected by environmental changes, ' said the report.

50 lakh deaths per year from paralysis by 2030

Chinese scientists have warned that the number of deaths due to paralysis worldwide is
likely to increase in the near future. He said that by 2030, nearly 50 lakh people are
likely to lose their lives every year due to ' ischemic ' stroke, a type of paralysis caused
by disturbances in blood supply to the brain. It has been revealed that 20.4 lakh people
died due to this type of paralysis in 1990 and 32.9 lakh people died in 2019. High
sodium in the diet, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney failure, high
blood sugar level and obesity are the main reasons for increasing mortality due to
ischemic stroke.