India Responsible Nations Index to Promote Ethical Governance

India Responsible Nations Index to Promote Ethical Governance

Why in News? 

Recently, India has introduced a pioneering framework named Responsible Nations Index (RNI) to evaluate global powers on ethical governance and social accountability. This index prioritizes transparency and sustainable leadership, positioning India as a key architect in defining modern international standards.

What is the Responsible Nations Index (RNI)?

• About: The Responsible Nations Index (RNI) is a first-of-its-kind international composite index that evaluates countries on the basis of ethical governance, social and global responsibility, emphasising responsibility over power.

• Objective: Its principal objectives are to:
  • Redefine national success by prioritising responsible conduct and ethical leadership over mere economic or military might.
  • Encourage nations to adopt policies that enhance citizen welfare, protect the environment, promote justice and support global cooperation.
  • Provide a data-driven, transparent comparative framework that policymakers, researchers and civil society can use to benchmark performance.
• Institution Involved: The RNI was conceptualised and developed by the Delhi-based World Intellectual Foundation (WIF), an independent global think tank.
  • Academic and methodological support was provided by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Mumbai. 
  • Data collection and validation draw on internationally recognised data sources including the World Bank, United Nations agencies, IMF, WHO, FAO, ILO and the World Justice Project.
• Key Pillars: The Responsible Nations Index is structured around three core responsibility pillars:

• Internal Responsibility: Measures how a nation upholds citizen dignity, governance quality, social justice, inclusion, empowerment, economic opportunities and public welfare.
• Environmental Responsibility: Assesses commitments to ecological protection, climate action, sustainable use of natural resources and environmental policies.
• External Responsibility: Evaluates a country’s behaviour within the international system, including contributions to peace, ethical diplomacy, global cooperation and respect for international law.

• • Assessment: The RNI’s assessment framework adheres to transparent, globally comparable data sources to ensure credibility and objectivity. Countries are scored on all 58 indicators across the three pillars, producing a composite score that reflects a nation’s overall responsibility profile.

• Feature: It evaluates 154 countries, offering a broad comparative outlook. It serves as a tool for introspection, encouraging reforms that enhance justice, sustainability and inclusiveness.

Responsible Nations Index (RNI) 2026

• • Launched By: The Responsible Nations Index (RNI) 2026 was formally launched on 19 January 2026 in New Delhi by former President Ram Nath Kovind under the aegis of the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF).

• Top 10 Countries: Singapore (0.61945), Switzerland (0.58692), Denmark (0.58372), Cyprus (0.57737), Sweden (0.57397), Czechia (0.57037), Belgium (0.56900), Austria (0.56645), Ireland (0.56336) and Georgia (0.55805). 

• Major Powers: The United States ranks 66th (0.50880), Japan is placed 38th (0.52930), the United Kingdom appears at 25th (0.53849).

• Bottom 3 Countries: Central African Republic – Ranked 154th with the lowest score 0.35715, Syria – Ranked 153rd (0.37254), and South Sudan – Ranked 152nd (0.37389).

• India’s Rank: India is ranked 16th globally with an overall score of 0.551513. India is the top-ranked Asian nation in this index. India ranks ahead of other significant Asian and global nations, including: South Korea (21st) and Thailand (24th). This position underscores India’s progress in ethical governance and cooperative international behaviour.

• India’s Neighbours: China stands at 68th (0.50547) and Pakistan ranked at 90th (0.48336).

Significance of Responsible Nations Index (RNI)

• • Redefining Global Metrics of National Success: The RNI offers a paradigm shift by prioritising responsible behaviour over traditional power indicators such as GDP, military strength or geopolitical influence, helping reframe how the global community evaluates national performance and leadership in the 21st century.
  • Promoting Ethical Governance and Public Accountability: By assessing countries on ethical conduct, transparency and equitable governance, the index encourages governments to adopt accountability mechanisms and people-centric policies, strengthening democratic processes and institutional integrity worldwide.

• Supporting Global Agendas like SDGs and Climate Action: The RNI aligns closely with global frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate commitments by emphasising social justice, sustainable development, environmental protection and inclusive growth, reinforcing international commitments to shared planetary goals. 

• Encouraging Cooperative International Behaviour: By ranking countries on external responsibility, the index incentivises peaceful diplomacy, respect for international law, and collaborative multilateralism, helping counter rising unilateralism and geopolitical tensions in an increasingly interdependent world.

• Enhancing Soft Power and National Brand Value: High performance on the RNI enhances a country’s global reputation as a responsible global actor, boosting its soft power and diplomatic influence. India’s ranking ahead of larger economies like the U.S. and China underlines how values-based leadership can strengthen a nation’s moral and strategic standing internationally.