India ranks 16th globally on a new index measuring how responsibly countries exercise power, placing it ahead of major economies including the US (22nd), China (42nd) and Russia (55th).
The Responsible Nations Index, launched by the Delhi-based World Intellectual Forum on Monday, assessed 154 countries across three pillars: internal responsibility (governance and citizen welfare), environmental stewardship, and international conduct. Singapore topped the rankings, followed by Switzerland and Denmark.
“This is not a scoreboard that increases competition but a mirror of morality reflecting whether countries are doing justice to their citizens,” former president Ram Nath Kovind said at the launch at Dr Ambedkar International Centre.
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India scored 0.55151 on the composite index developed over three years by the foundation in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University, with what the foundation claimed was methodological validation by the Indian Institute of Management, Mumbai. The framework operationalises the three pillars through seven dimensions, 15 aspects and 58 indicators to evaluate how nations govern, manage environmental resources and engage internationally.
The index covers all seven World Bank regions and four income groups, enabling comparisons across development contexts.
Rankings comparing how countries perform on their political, economic and social parameters have become a source of contention, especially since institutes such as Swedish V-Dem pegged has pegged India at lower rankings. The government has pushed back against deteriorating characterisation, faulting the methodologies of the assessments.
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India’s performance reflects strengths and constraints. The report notes challenges in internal responsibility related to governance scale and service delivery. However, the country scores higher on external responsibility, particularly in peacekeeping operations and international cooperation. Environmental responsibility remains an area of constraint, reflecting trade-offs between development and sustainability goals.
“Prosperity without responsibility is unsustainable. RNI seeks to encourage ethical governance, humane development and global stewardship,” WIF founder Sudhanshu Mittal said.
The launch included an expert panel discussion chaired by N K Singh, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission. Panellists included Prachi Mishra, professor of economics and director at the Isaac Centre for Public Policy, Ashoka University; Laveesh Bhandari, president and senior fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress; and Neelkanth Mishra, chief economist at Axis Bank and head of global research at Axis Capital.
Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra spoke on the mission of WIF and the relevance of the index. Addresses were also delivered by Santishree D Pandit, vice-chancellor of JNU, and Manoj Kumar Tiwari, director of IIM Mumbai. Edouard Husson, former vice-chancellor of the University of Paris, presented insights from a closed-door expert roundtable held earlier in the day.
European countries dominated the top rankings, reflecting governance systems, welfare delivery and environmental policies captured by the framework. Several emerging economies scored strongly on specific dimensions such as peacekeeping, renewable energy adoption and welfare delivery.
WIF described the release as the start of a global conversation, positioning the index as a policy tool rather than a competitive ranking. Future editions will refine indicators and expand dialogue with governments and international organisations.
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