In January 2026, Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind launched the inaugural edition of the Responsible Nations Index (RNI), a 1st-of-its-kind global framework at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC) in New Delhi, Delhi.
- India was ranked 16th globally in the RNI 2026 with an overall score of 0.551513.
- Singapore topped the ranking among 154 countries with an overall score of 0.61945, followed by Switzerland(0.58692) in second place and Denmark(0.58372) in third place.
Exam Hints:
- What? Launch of Responsible Nations Index (RNI)
- Launched by: Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind
- Developed by: WIF, JNU and IIM-Mumbai
- Key Pillars: Internal Responsibility; Environment Responsibility; and External Responsibility
- Data Sourced from: WB, and UN agencies (WHO, ILO, FAO) and World Justice Project (latest data as of 2023)
- Top 3 Performers: Singapore (1st), Switzerland(2nd) and Denmark (3rd)
- India’s Overall Rank:16th (score of 0.551513)
- Lowest-Ranked Countries: Central African Republic(154), Syria(153), South Sudan(152).
About Responsible Nations Index (RNI):
Aim: To assess the countries based on ethical governance, social well-being, environmental stewardship and global responsibility rather than power or economic capacity.
Developers: This global framework is the outcome of a 3-year academic and policy research initiative led by think tank, World Intellectual Foundation (WIF), in academic partnership with the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and methodological validation by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Source of Data: RNI uses data from widely recognised and publicly accessible global sources like: the World Bank (WB), United Nations (UN) specialized agencies such as:
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Justice Project, using the latest available data (as of 2023).
Key Pillars: The new index is structured around three main pillars:
- Internal Responsibility: Observes a country’s obligations towards the dignity, well-being and empowerment of its citizens.
- Environment Responsibility: Analyzes a country’s commitment to ecological protection and sustainable development.
- External Responsibility: Focuses on how a country behaves and contributes within the global system.
Key Dimensions and Indicators: These 3 pillars are further measured through 7 dimensions that include: quality of life, governance, social justice and empowerment, economic performance, environmental protection, commitment to peace and international economic relations; 15 aspects and 58 indicators.
Key Findings of RNI 2026:
Top 10 Performers: Cyprus secured 4th place with a score of 0.57737, followed by Sweden in 5th with 0.57397, Czechia in 6th with 0.57037, Belgium in 7th with 0.56900, Austria in 8th with 0.56645, Ireland in 9th with 0.56336, and Georgia in 10th place with a score of 0.55805.
India’s Performance: RNI has ranked India at 16th position globally , ahead of European countries like: France, Albania, and Poland, which featured among the top 20 countries in the index.
Major Economies: The index has ranked major economies like: Japan, the United States of America (USA), and China at 38th, 66th, and 68th positions, respectively.
Lowest-Ranked Countries :The bottom three nations in the RNI 2026 were Central African Republic (154th, 0.35715), Syria (153rd, 0.37254), and South Sudan (152nd, 0.37389).
Key Observations: The report highlighted that many northern and eastern European countries scored high due to strong rule of law, inclusive welfare systems and long-term commitments to climate action.
- It further noted that several emerging economies performed well in specific areas like: peacekeeping, renewable energy adoption, and inclusive welfare delivery.
Top 5 Countries: RNI 2026
| Overall Rank | Country Name | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 0.61945 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 0.58692 |
| 3 | Denmark | 0.58372 |
| 4 | Cyprus | 0.57737 |
| 5 | Sweden | 0.57387 |
| 16 | India | 0.551513 |
Bottom 5 Countries: RNI 2026
| Overall Rank | Country Name | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|
| 154 | Central African Republic | 0.35715 |
| 153 | Syria | 0.37254 |
| 152 | South Sudan | 0.37389 |
| 151 | Yemen | 0.38265 |
| 150 | Somalia | 0.39995 |
About World Intellectual Foundation (WIF):
Chairman- Prof Jagdish Mukhi
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Established- 2021
