Paper IPaper I · Current Events

Reports, Indices and Their Publishers

Major global and Indian indices and reports mapped to the body that publishes each, a high-yield durable table; verify the latest rank or value separately

CAPF wiki4 min read9 sections
At a glance
PaperPaper ISubjectCurrent EventsSyllabusCurrent Events of National and International Importance: governance, societal and developmental issues, business and globalisationImportanceHigh
IndicesReportsPublishersHDIRankingsCurrent Affairs

Quick anchor

The "index in the news" question is one of the most reliable in CAPF current events, and almost always tests the durable fact (who publishes the index, what it measures) rather than India's exact rank. The rank and value change every year, so this note maps each major index and report to its publishing body and leaves the rank as a "verify the latest" item. Master the index-to-publisher mapping as a table; it is high yield for low effort.

Global development and human-rights indices

Index / report Publisher What it measures
Human Development Index (HDI), Human Development Report UNDP Life expectancy, education, income
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) UNDP and OPHI (Oxford) Health, education, living standards
Gender Inequality Index (GII) UNDP Reproductive health, empowerment, labour participation
Global Gender Gap Report World Economic Forum (WEF) Gender parity across four areas
Global Hunger Index (GHI) Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe Undernourishment, child wasting and stunting, child mortality
World Happiness Report UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Self-reported well-being
Press Freedom Index Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Freedom of the press
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) Transparency International Perceived public-sector corruption
Democracy Index The Economist Intelligence Unit Quality of democracy

Economy, business and competitiveness

Index / report Publisher What it measures
World Economic Outlook International Monetary Fund (IMF) Global growth projections
Global Economic Prospects World Bank Growth and development outlook
Human Capital Index World Bank Health and education outcomes
Global Competitiveness Report World Economic Forum (WEF) National competitiveness
Global Innovation Index (GII) WIPO (with partners) Innovation capability
World Investment Report UNCTAD Foreign direct investment trends
Logistics Performance Index World Bank Trade logistics
World Inequality Report World Inequality Lab Income and wealth inequality

Note the clash of acronyms: GII can mean the Gender Inequality Index (UNDP) or the Global Innovation Index (WIPO). Read the full form in the question.

Environment and energy

Index / report Publisher What it measures
Environmental Performance Index (EPI) Yale and Columbia universities Environmental health and ecosystem vitality
Emissions Gap Report UNEP Gap between pledges and the 1.5 degree path
Global Climate Risk Index Germanwatch Exposure to extreme weather
IPCC Assessment Reports Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The scientific consensus on climate
World Energy Outlook International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy demand and supply

Major Indian reports and indices

Index / report Publisher What it covers
Economic Survey Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) Annual review of the economy, tabled before the Budget
Union Budget Ministry of Finance The annual financial statement (Art 112)
NITI Aayog SDG India Index NITI Aayog State and UT progress on the Sustainable Development Goals
Multidimensional Poverty Index (national MPI) NITI Aayog Domestic multidimensional poverty
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Ministry of Education Higher-education statistics
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) National Statistical Office (NSO), MoSPI Employment and unemployment
Index of Industrial Production (IIP) NSO, MoSPI Industrial output
Consumer Price Index (CPI) NSO, MoSPI Retail inflation
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT Wholesale inflation
State of Forest Report Forest Survey of India Forest and tree cover

Verify the latest

For every index above, India's exact rank and the absolute value change each release. Do not memorise an old rank. Learn the publisher and what the index measures (the durable fact), and refresh India's current rank only in the final months before the exam, from the publishing body or PIB.

How it is asked

  • Matching: index to publisher (HDI to UNDP, Press Freedom Index to RSF, GHI to Concern Worldwide, CPI to Transparency International).
  • Single-fact recall: who publishes the World Economic Outlook (IMF), the Global Innovation Index (WIPO), the SDG India Index (NITI Aayog).
  • Statement-type: the HDI is published by the World Bank (incorrect, UNDP); the Economic Survey is tabled after the Budget (incorrect, before).
  • Trap on acronym clashes (GII as Gender Inequality versus Global Innovation; CPI as Corruption Perceptions versus Consumer Price).

Last-mile recall

  • HDI, MPI, GII (Gender) all from UNDP; the Human Development Report is UNDP's flagship.
  • GHI from Concern Worldwide; Press Freedom Index from RSF; CPI (corruption) from Transparency International; Democracy Index from the EIU.
  • World Economic Outlook from the IMF; Global Economic Prospects and the Logistics Performance Index from the World Bank; Global Innovation Index from WIPO; World Investment Report from UNCTAD.
  • WEF publishes the Global Gender Gap Report and the Global Competitiveness Report.
  • Indian: Economic Survey (Finance, before the Budget), SDG India Index and national MPI (NITI Aayog), PLFS and CPI and IIP (NSO under MoSPI), WPI (DPIIT), State of Forest Report (FSI).
  • Learn the publisher and the measure; verify India's current rank separately and late.
Now reinforce it
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