India launches Responsible Nations Index to promote ethical governance

New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) In an intellectual and policy milestone, India, on Monday, launched the Responsible Nations Index (RNI), a 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.

Institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Mumbai, played a key academic role in shaping the intellectual foundations and methodological rigour of the Index launched by global think-tank World Intellectual Foundation (WIF), a statement said.

The launch event at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre was chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

He underlined the importance of ethical governance, inclusive development, and moral responsibility in shaping sustainable national and global futures.

Sudhanshu Mittal, WIF Founder and Secretary, said that the RNI represents a shift from power-centric assessments to responsibility-centric evaluation of nations.

“The Responsible Nations Index asks a fundamental question — how responsibly does a nation exercise its power? Prosperity without responsibility is unsustainable. RNI seeks to encourage ethical governance, humane development, and global stewardship,” he added.

The event brought together eminent policymakers, jurists, economists, academicians, diplomats, and institutional leaders, reflecting the multidimensional nature of the RNI endeavour.

The Responsible Nations Index is the culmination of a three-year-long academic and policy exercise, conceptualised and developed by the World Intellectual Foundation.

Anchored in India’s civilisational ethos of dharma and global well-being, the Index seeks to reframe global discourse around nationhood and progress.

The formal launch followed an Expert Panel Discussion on the theme “From Human Well-being to Global Stewardship: Rethinking Responsibility, Prosperity and Peace in the 21st Century”, chaired by N.K. Singh, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission of India.

The panel featured distinguished economists and scholars, including Prachi Mishra, Professor of Economics and Director, Isaac Centre for Public Policy, Ashoka University; Laveesh Bhandari, President and Senior Fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP); and Neelkanth Mishra, Chief Economist, Axis Bank and Head of Global Research, Axis Capital.

During the inaugural session, addresses were delivered by Santishree D. Pandit, Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Director, IIM Mumbai; Edouard Husson, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Paris, who also presented key intellectual insights from the closed-door Expert Roundtable held earlier on Monday.

Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra, who spoke on the mission of the World Intellectual Foundation and the broader significance of the “RNI: A New Lens for Global Responsibility”.

The ceremony concluded with the ceremonial release of the Responsible Nations Index Report, marking the beginning of what WIF described as a long-term global conversation on responsible nationhood.

The World Intellectual Foundation is a global think-tank committed to advancing ideas that promote ethical leadership, responsible governance, and sustainable global futures through rigorous research and dialogue.

–IANS

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