New Delhi [India], January 19 : Nations must be judged beyond economic strength and military power, backing a framework that seeks to redefine global power through responsibility towards citizens, the environment, and the international community, former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said during the launch of the Responsible Nations Index on Monday.
Endorsing this approach, he warned that material success alone cannot define national progress. "A country can be economically prosperous and yet remain irresponsible," Kovind said, calling for ethics, dignity, and moral conduct to be placed at the centre of governance.
India today sought to reposition the global conversation on development and power with the launch of the Responsible Nations Index (RNI), signalling a shift from traditional economic and military metrics towards a responsibility-based framework for evaluating nations.
Unveiled in New Delhi, under the aegis of the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF), the Index assesses how responsibly countries govern their economies, care for citizens, protect the environment, and engage with their neighbourhood and the wider international community.
He noted that global rankings have long relied on indicators such as economic size, military strength, and technological advancement, but questioned their ability to capture the true character of nations.
"They tell us very little about how a country treats its own citizens, how it engages with other nations, and how sincerely it protects our shared planetary home," he observed.
Kovind underlined that irresponsible exercise of economic and strategic power often destabilises regions and places disproportionate burdens on neighbouring countries, whether through environmental degradation, financial pressures, or conflict.
"For us, power does not mean dominance; it is a duty. Sovereignty comes not only with rights but also with responsibilities," he said, invoking Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam--the belief that the world is one family.
Linking democracy with inclusive growth, Kovind stressed that political systems cannot endure without economic justice.
"Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is also the right to live with dignity," he said, arguing that governance must ensure social security, opportunity, and fairness.
On sustainability, he delivered a clear message for policymakers and markets alike. "We are not owners of the Earth's resources, but their trustees." Development that destroys natural capital, he cautioned, cannot be considered real progress.
The Responsible Nations Index is the outcome of a three-year academic and policy exercise conceptualised by WIF and anchored in India's ethos of dharma and global well-being. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai contributed significantly to its intellectual foundations and methodological rigour.
The launch followed a high-level panel discussion titled "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.
Concluding the event, Sudhanshu Mittal, Founder and Secretary of WIF, said the RNI represents a decisive move away from power-centric evaluations.
"Prosperity without responsibility is unsustainable," he said, adding that the Index aims to encourage ethical governance, stable neighbourhood relations, and long-term global economic resilience.
The ceremonial release of the Responsible Nations Index Report marked the start of what organisers described as a sustained international dialogue on responsible nationhood in an interconnected world.