Study OAS · 20 January 2026

India Launches Responsible Nations Index (RNI) 2026

What’s the News?

Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind launched the inaugural Responsible Nations Index (RNI) 2026 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
India has been ranked 16th out of 154 countries in this first-of-its-kind global framework.
The index, developed by the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF), shifts the global assessment lens from raw economic or military power to ethical governance and social responsibility.

Top Performers: Singapore topped the global rankings with a score of 0.61945, followed by Switzerland (2nd) and Denmark (3rd).
India's Standing: India secured the 16th spot with an overall score of 0.551513, outperforming major economies like the United States (66th) and China (68th).
Regional Context: India is the top-ranked Asian nation in the index, highlighting its progress in people-centered governance and environmental policies.
Bottom of the Index: The Central African Republic (154th), Syria (153rd), and South Sudan (152nd) were the lowest-ranked nations.

The RNI evaluates national success based on how responsibly a country exercises its power across three primary dimensions:

Internal Responsibility: Focuses on a nation's obligations toward the dignity, well-being, and empowerment of its own citizens.
Environmental Responsibility: Analyzes a country’s commitment to ecological protection, climate action, and sustainable resource management.
External Responsibility: Measures how a nation behaves within the international system, focusing on its contribution to global peace, stability, and cooperation.

Structural Components: The index is operationalized through 7 dimensions, 15 aspects, and 58 specific indicators.
Key Dimensions: These include quality of life, governance, social justice, economic performance, environmental stewardship, commitment to peace, and international economic relations.
Academic Collaboration: The framework was developed over three years in partnership with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and received methodological validation from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai.
Data Sources: It draws from globally recognized sources, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies (WHO, ILO, FAO), IMF, and the World Justice Project.