New Delhi: India has been ranked 16th among 154 countries in the Responsible Nations Index (RNI), a new framework that measures how responsibly nations use their power in relation to their citizens, the environment and the world. The index, launched Monday by Delhi-based think tank World Intellectual Foundation (WIF), places Singapore at the top.
The index draws data from international sources such as the World Bank, United Nations agencies and the World Justice Project, using the latest available data as of 2023 and is built around three pillars. Internal responsibility looks at a nation’s obligations towards the dignity, well-being and empowerment of its citizens. Environmental responsibility examines a country’s commitment to ecological protection and sustainable development. The third, external responsibility focuses on how a nation behaves and contributes within the international system.
These three pillars are measured through seven dimensions covering quality of life, governance, social justice and empowerment, economic performance, environmental protection, commitment to peace and international economic relations. In total, 58 selected indicators are used to arrive at the final scores and rankings.
“The Index offers a pioneering global framework to assess nations not merely by economic strength or geopolitical influence, but by their responsibility towards citizens, the environment, and the international community,” World Intellectual Foundation said in a statement.
China was ranked 68 and the US 66 on the RNI.
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The findings of the RNI reveal that high levels of GDP or economic power do not reliably predict or translate into responsible national conduct.
“In fact, several developing nations surpass wealthier countries in areas such as environmental ethics, gender fairness, and social justice,” the WIF said in the report.The analysis bears out a strong correlation between responsibility and the presence of accountable institutions, equitable development, and inclusive governance.
Worryingly, global disparities are deepening particularly in climate responsibility, judicial independence, and peaceful international engagement — highlighting the uneven moral landscape of contemporary nationhood,” it said, adding that collectively, these insights affirm that national success must be judged not merely by what nations achieve, but by how responsibly they achieve it.