UPSC Issue at a Glance is an initiative by UPSC Essentials aimed at streamlining your UPSC Current Affairs preparation for the prelims and mains examinations by focusing on issues making headlines. This week, we cover the important reports and indices from a broader perspective. Let’s get started.What is the issue?As we enter 2026, various global and national reports released in the last year offer not just rankings and statistics but also provide early signals of the challenges that will shape public policy discourse in 2026. From climate and public health-related issues to inequality and fiscal capacity, these reports capture the change in the world and tell us where India stands within it.For UPSC CSE aspirants, such reports and indices are an important link between current affairs preparation in sync with major syllabus themes. This week’s ‘UPSC Issue at a Glance’ focuses on some of the important reports and indices from 2025. Furthermore, with the change in the calendar, this week’s Issue at a Glance signals a shift towards a Prelims-focused preparation mode, sharpening attention on facts and themes most relevant for the objective stage.(Relevance: Reports and indices are important markers for comparative understanding of a country’s progress. Previously, from time to time, UPSC has asked questions about various reports and indices. The key highlights of these reports are also important for adding value to your Mains answers. In this regard, the comprehensive understanding of these report becomes essential for your exam.)1. Climate stress, Environmental health and India’s green transitionUnited Nations World Water Development Report 2025 On the occasion of the first-ever World Day for Glaciers on March 21, UNESCO released The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers. According to the UNESCO report, snow cover in nearly all mountain regions has reduced, especially in spring and summer, with an expected further decrease in the coming decades. Snow cover is the total of all the snow and ice on the ground. It includes new snow and previous snow and ice that have not melted.Story continues below this adAccording to the report, in several regions, higher elevations seem to be warming faster than lower ones; glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate; permafrost is thawing at an increased rate; snow cover has declined; and snowfall patterns have become more erratic.WMO Greenhouse Gas BulletinAccording to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, an annual publication, globally averaged surface concentrations of carbon dioxide had increased by 3.5 parts per million from the 2023 levels to reach 423.9 ppm in 2024, a record high. The year 2024 was also the warmest year ever recorded, with the global average temperature being 1.55 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.This was the first time that global temperatures had breached the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold. The current CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, 423.9 ppm, is now 152% more than the pre-industrial levels of 278.3 ppm. CO2 is known to have contributed about 66% of the warming that has happened since pre-industrial times, and about 79% in the last decade. Anthropogenic activities, increased human-linked sources, rise in wildfire incidents were being underscored, yet again, as the major contributors for pushing the levels of CO2 during 2023 – 2024.2. Public health in a warming worldGlobal Burden of Disease reportStory continues below this adIn the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) report launched at the World Health Summit, Berlin, and published in The Lancet, the Non-communicable diseases (NCD) account for nearly two-thirds of the world’s total mortality and morbidity. The leading NCDs are ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. In India, the causes of death are shifting from infectious diseases to NCDs.According to the report, in 2023, ischaemic heart disease caused maximum deaths — age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) rate at 127.82 per lakh population. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder was the second leading cause of deaths in India in 2023 with ASMR rate at 99.25 per lakh, while the third was stroke with an ASMR rate of 92.88 per lakh in 2023.Global Tuberculosis Report 2025The World Health Organisation released the Global TB Report 2025. The Report shows that India has achieved only a 21% reduction in new cases and a 28% reduction in deaths between 2015 and 2024. This does not even come close to the End TB milestones for 2025 — a 50% reduction in TB incidence and 75% reduction in TB deaths.Notably, TB is caused by an organism called mycobacterium tuberculosis, which mainly affects the lungs, but can also impact other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, or speaks.Lancet Countdown on health and plasticsStory continues below this adThe Lancet Report warned of a grave threat from plastics to human and planetary health, but said the harm can be mitigated through effectively implemented policies. Plastic is durable and persists for decades in the environment, an estimated 8 Gigatons of plastic waste – 80% of all plastic ever made – now pollutes the planet – a massive problem by any measure.3. Well-being, Inequality and PeaceWorld Happiness Report 2025The World Happiness Report 2025 was published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. The rankings are based on people’s self-assessed life evaluations, compiled through surveys conducted by Gallup in partnership with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.ALSO READ | Knowledge Nugget | Translocation of Cheetahs — What you must know for the UPSC ExamFor the eighth consecutive year, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world. India ranked 118th on the happiness index . Afghanistan (ranked 147th) continues to be the world’s unhappiest country for the fourth year in a row. World Inequality Report 2026Story continues below this adThe World Inequality Report 2026, the third report in the series after earlier 2018 and 2022 editions, is based on the work of over 200 scholars across the world, affiliated with the World Inequality Lab. According to the report, income inequality in India remains among the highest in the world, with top 10 per cent of earners capturing 58 per cent of national income, while bottom 50 per cent receive only 15 per cent. According to the report, wealth inequality is even greater in India, with the richest 10 per cent holding around 65 per cent of total wealth and the top 1 per cent holding about 40 per cent. The global top 10 per cent owns three-quarters of all wealth, while the bottom 50 per cent holds just 2 per cent.Global Peace Index 2025The 10th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 was released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The report covers 163 countries, comprising 99.7 per cent of the world’s population. The report states that there is a deterioration of global peacefulness by 0.36 per cent, marking the 13th deterioration in peacefulness in the last 17 years, with 74 countries improving and 87 deteriorating in peacefulness.Iceland continues to lead and set global standards in maintaining its position as the world’s most peaceful country. It is followed by Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Western and Central Asia are the most peaceful regions in the world. India ranks 115th globally with a GPI score of 2.229, a 0.58 per cent improvement in its level of peacefulness over the past year. This marks a gradual upward trajectory from its rankings of 116 in 2024, 126 in 2023, 139 in 2020, and 141 in 2019.4. Human development and Gender equityHuman Development Report 2025 Story continues below this adThe latest Human Development Report (HDR) was published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Humans are “the true wealth of nations,” the report notes, underscoring that humans are more than the sum of the tasks they perform. Instead of emphasising the difference, the report pointed out that humans and machines have the potential to be a powerful complementarities that expand human potential. The report shows how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could reignite development.The report noted the widening gap in inequality between countries with low Human Development Index (HDI) scores and those with very high HDI scores for the fourth consecutive year, highlighting a stark reversal of a historical trend where such inequalities were decreasing.India shows steady upward movement in the HDI rankings, ranking 130 in the 2025 UNDP report. HDI is composite index that measures average achievement in human development taking into account four indicators: life expectancy at birth (Sustainable Development Goal 3); expected years of schooling (SDG 4.3); mean years of schooling (SDG 4.4); and gross national income (GNI) per capita (2017 PPP$) (SDG 8.5).Global Gender Gap ReportThe 19th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 was published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) with the global gender gap at 68.8 per cent for 148 countries, marking the strongest annual advancement since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet full parity remains 123 years away at current rates. Story continues below this adThe report shows that across all dimensions in 2024, the gender parity has risen, and in 11 of the 14 indicators, marking a notable acceleration from last year’s result. No country has yet achieved full gender parity. Iceland retains the world’s most gender-equal economy for the 16th consecutive year. India has ranked 131 out of 148 countries, slipping two places from its position last year.India’s performance across the components of the Global Gender Gap IndexComponents20252024Score (0-1)RankScore (0-1)RankGlobal Gap Gender Index0.6441310.641129Economic Participation and Opportunity0.4071440.398142Educational Attainment0.9711100.964112Health and survival0.9541430.951142Political Empowerment0.245690.251655. Trade, Innovation and India’s place in the global economyWorld Trade ReportAccording to the World Trade Report 2025 released by the World Trade Organization, artificial intelligence could boost the value of trade in goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040, but without adequate policies it could also exacerbate economic divides. Lower trade costs and enhanced productivity could drive substantial increases in trade and GDP by 2040, with global trade projected to rise by 34-37% under various scenarios.Global Innovation Index 2025The Global Innovative Index 2025 published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) shows that R&D growth fell to 2.9 per cent in 2024 and is expected to drop further to 2.3 per cent in 2025. Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country, followed by Sweden, the United States and others. Europe leads as the most innovative region, with 15 countries in the global top 25.Story continues below this adIndia is ranked 38 and holds the #1 spot among lower-middle-income economies and in the Central and Southern Asia region. India performs best in Knowledge & Technology Outputs (#22) and Market Sophistication (#38), while its weakest rankings are in Business Sophistication (#64), Infrastructure (#61), and Institutions (#58).IMF World Economic Outlook April 2025The world economy appears to have stabilised, showing steady growth above recession levels, yet remaining below expectations amid escalating trade-war tensions fuelled by US-imposed tariffs and global uncertainty. In the recently released International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook April 2025, the global growth forecast has been marked downwards by 0.5 percentage points to 2.8 per cent for 2025 and by 0.3 percentage points to 3 per cent for 2026 compared to this year’s January edition.Presently positioned as the fourth-largest economy globally, on par with Japan, the IMF forecasts India to be the fastest-growing major economy over the next two years, maintaining a significant advantage over both global and regional competitors despite the adjustment in growth projections.6. Fiscal federalism and financial inclusionFiscal Health IndexThe inaugural issue of NITI Aayog’s report titled “Fiscal Health Index (FHI)” was launched on 24th January 2025. Covering 18 major states for the financial year 2022-23, the index assigned a score to each state on the basis of five parameters – the quality of expenditure, revenue mobilisation, fiscal prudence, debt index, and debt sustainability.Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand led FHI on the back of mining-linked premiums, whereas Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal emerged as major laggards across parameters including revenue mobilisation and fiscal prudence.Financial Inclusion IndexThe Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index), which captures the extent of financial inclusion across the country, improved to 67 in March 2025 from 64.2 in March 2024, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.The index comprises three broad parameters — access, usage, and quality, having weight 35 per cent, 45 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. The FI-Index has been constructed without any base year and as such it reflects cumulative efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards financial inclusion.7. Grassroots governance and local democracyPanchayat Devolution IndexThe Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj released the Panchayat Devolution Index based on a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA). The IIPA studied 172 panchayats in 68 districts across India to measure the performance of the panchayat system on six parameters: framework, functions, finances, functionaries, capacity building, and accountability. It scales state on a scale of 0 to 100.The index was last published in 2014 and, over the past decade, the national average score rose from 39.92 to 43.89. Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu topped the index and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar recorded the biggest improvement.In the index, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand are the lowest-scoring states, while Manipur, Arunachal and Haryana have seen the biggest declines in the past decade. As of 2024, there are 2.62 lakh panchayats in India, up from 2.48 lakh in 2013-14.Post Read Questions(1) With reference to the Global TB Report 2025, consider the following statements:1. The Global TB Report 2025 shows that India has achieved only a 21% reduction in new cases and a 28% reduction in deaths between 2015 and 2024.2. The Global TB Report shows significant improvement in India’s treatment coverage.3. In TB cases reduction, India is far below the global average.4. The report is published by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.How many of the statements given above are correct?(a) Only one(b) Only two(c) Only three(d) All four(2) With reference to the World Happiness Report 2025, consider the following statements:1. Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year.2. The rankings are based on people’s self-assessed life evaluations.3. All top 20 spots are dominated by the European nations.4. Zimbabwe remains the unhappiest nation in the world for the fourth consecutive year.Which of the statements given above are correct?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 3 and 4 only(d) 1 and 4 only(3) Which of the following gives ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to the countries of the world? (UPSC CSE 2017)(a) World Economic Forum(b) UN Human Rights Council(c) UN Women(d) World Health OrganizationPrelims Answer Key 1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (a)(Sources: Articles from the Indian Express: Heart disease leading cause of deaths in India, says new study, Everything you need to know about WHO’s Global TB Report 2025 and beyond, Lancet Countdown on health and plastics, India lags in the World Happiness Report 2025, 2025 Human Development Report, Global Gender Gap Report 2025, World Trade Report 2025, Global Innovation Index 2025, IMF World Economic Outlook April 2025, Financial Inclusion Index, Panchayat Devolution Index)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for December 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com