Reports, Economy, and International Relations: October to December 2025
Reports & Indices
| Report | Key Finding | Prelims Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Living Index (World Bank, October 2025) | India's composite score improved. Top cities: Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad. The index measures quality of life (mobility, safety, environment, housing, and citizen services). First launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2018 | World Bank Ease of Living Index. Different from Ease of Doing Business. MoHUA also publishes a municipal performance index |
| Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change (November 2025) | Heat-related deaths among people over 65 in India increased by 85% compared to the 1990-2000 average. India lost 191 billion potential labour hours to heat exposure in 2024, the highest in the world. Coal still accounts for 72% of India's electricity. The report called for a just transition framework that protects coal-dependent communities | Lancet Countdown. Published annually. Tracks 47 indicators across health and climate. Published by The Lancet medical journal |
| Global Innovation Index (WIPO, December 2025) | India ranked 38th (up from 40th in 2024, 81st in 2015). India is the innovation leader in the Central and Southern Asia region and among lower-middle-income economies. Strengths: ICT services exports, venture capital received, and graduates in science and engineering. Weaknesses: infrastructure, ease of starting a business, gross expenditure on R&D (0.65% of GDP) | GII. Published by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization). India's ranking has been the fastest-improving among major economies |
| World Malaria Report (WHO, December 2025) | India accounted for 66% of malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Cases declined by 62% between 2015 and 2024, the steepest decline in the region. India is on track to achieve the WHO target of reducing malaria cases by 90% by 2030 | WHO World Malaria Report. India's target: malaria-free by 2030. National Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016) |
Economy
GDP growth: Q2 2025-26 (July-September 2025) GDP growth was reported at 6.3%, below the RBI's projection of 6.8%. The slowdown was attributed to: weaker-than-expected private consumption (urban demand softened, possibly due to elevated food inflation reducing discretionary spending), slower government capex spending (due to the election-related pause in the first half of the year), and export weakness (global demand remained sluggish). The RBI revised its full-year GDP growth projection from 7.2% to 6.8%.
RBI December policy: The MPC kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.50% by a 5:1 vote. The policy stance remained "withdrawal of accommodation." CPI inflation was projected at 4.8% for 2025-26, above the 4.5% target but within the 2-6% band. The MPC's primary concern was food inflation: vegetable prices had spiked due to unseasonal rainfall, and cereal inflation remained elevated despite government intervention (open market sales of wheat and rice, stock limits on traders).
Rupee: The rupee depreciated past ₹84/USD for the first time in October 2025, driven by foreign portfolio outflows ($11 billion in October alone) as global funds rebalanced toward Chinese equities (following China's stimulus announcement) and US bonds (following higher-for-longer US rate expectations). The RBI intervened, selling dollars and slowing the decline. Forex reserves declined from $705 billion (September 2025 peak) to $652 billion by end-December.
India and the World
G20 Summit (Johannesburg, November 2025): South Africa held the G20 presidency for 2025. The summit theme was "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability." Key outcomes: (a) The African Union, which became a permanent G20 member at the Delhi Summit (2023), participated as a full member for the first time. (b) A G20 framework for crypto regulation was agreed, based on the IMF-FSB synthesis paper. India supported the framework but argued for differentiated compliance timelines for developing countries. (c) Prime Minister Modi proposed a Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository (GDPIR) , a database of successful DPI (like UPI, Aadhaar) that any country can adopt , which was endorsed in the Leaders' Declaration.
India-UK FTA: After 14 rounds of negotiations since January 2022, India and the UK announced the conclusion of the FTA in December 2025. Key provisions: (a) Tariff reduction: UK to reduce tariffs on Indian textiles, footwear, and marine products. India to reduce tariffs on UK automobiles, Scotch whisky, and medical devices. (b) Services: UK to grant more visas for Indian professionals. India to open legal services and financial services to UK firms. (c) Intellectual Property: India agreed to stronger IP protection for pharmaceuticals, a longstanding UK demand.
SAARC stalemate continues: The SAARC Summit, last held in Kathmandu in 2014, remained stalled. India continued to boycott SAARC, citing Pakistan's support for cross-border terrorism. India has pivoted to BIMSTEC as its primary regional cooperation platform. The BIMSTEC Summit is scheduled for early 2026 in Thailand.
Species & Protected Areas: H2 2025 (July-December)
| Development | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| New Ramsar sites (5 added) | July-December 2025 | Nanjarayan Tank (Tamil Nadu), Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), Tawa Reservoir (Madhya Pradesh), Godavari Estuary (Andhra Pradesh), Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary (Gujarat). Total Ramsar sites: 80 |
| Tiger census 2025 results | October 2025 | India's tiger population: 3,925 (up from 2,967 in 2018, 3,167 in 2022). Largest populations: Madhya Pradesh (852), Karnataka (592), Uttarakhand (560). Corbett Tiger Reserve has the highest density (312 tigers). New reserves since the last census: Ranipur (UP), Ramgarh Vishdhari (Rajasthan), and Kumbhalgarh (Rajasthan) |
| Namdapha Flying Squirrel rediscovered | November 2025 | The Namdapha Flying Squirrel, thought to be extinct since its last sighting in 1981, was photographed in a camera trap in Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh. This is one of the most significant species rediscoveries in India in the 21st century. IUCN status: Critically Endangered |