UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

India ranks 100th among 122 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, with a score of 24.1, placing it in the “serious” hunger category. Its country profile shows persistent challenges in child nutrition despite long-term improvement. 

The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026 has highlighted significant gaps between economic development and living standards in Indian cities. Delhi emerged as India's highest-ranked city, securing 268th position overall. 

The WWF Living Planet Report 2024 revealed that the average size of monitored wildlife populations declined by 73% between 1970 and 2020.

Oxford Economics has released the 2026 Global Cities Index, assessing 1,000 major cities worldwide.

India has retained the 131st position out of 145 economies in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on September 16, 2026.

Punjab has claimed the No. 1 position in the NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index (SEQI) 2026, surpassing Kerala. 

NITI Aayog has released a landmark report titled "Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047". 

The QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2027, released in July 2026, ranked Seoul as the world's best student city. Mumbai became India's highest-ranked city (91st), Delhi entered the global top 100 for the first time (99th) and was recognised as the world's most affordable student city, while Bengaluru slipped to joint 114th due to relatively higher tuition fees.

NITI Aayog has released the first-ever Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) 2026. Gujarat ranked first among 17 major States with a score of 56.6, followed by Maharashtra (53.7) and Tamil Nadu (53.3).

The NITI Aayog recently released the second annual edition of the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026 in New Delhi. The index evaluates the fiscal performance and financial sustainability of Indian states, providing a comprehensive framework to compare fiscal management practices across the country.