India, during its presidency of the Brussels-based International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), has advanced a proposal for research on a new international governance index. This initiative, highlighted as part of the achievements after 100 days of India's three-year term (2025-2028), aims to challenge Western-dominated indices like the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) reports, which have ranked India poorly in areas such as political stability and democracy. The move reflects India's ongoing efforts to promote fairer, context-aware global assessments, drawing from criticisms by government bodies like the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) and aligns with broader calls for transparency in international rankings that influence credit ratings and global perceptions.
What Is the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) and India's Role in It?
Basic Overview: The IIAS is a Brussels-based international non-profit organization founded in 1930, dedicated to advancing public administration and governance through research, conferences, and training for public servants and academics.
Membership and Structure: It has 31 member countries, including India, Japan, China, Germany, and Saudi Arabia; while not affiliated with the UN, it collaborates closely on governance issues and operates through bodies like the Research Advisory Committee.
India's Involvement: India joined in 1998 via the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG); in June 2025, India won the presidency (2025-2028) by defeating Austria in the first election, aligning with PM Modi's vision of "maximum governance, minimum government" and focusing on unity and inclusivity to bridge North-South divides.
Significance: As president, India influences global governance discussions, using the platform to propose initiatives like the new index, marking a shift toward amplifying Global South voices in international standards.
What Is the Proposal for a New Global Governance Index and How Was It Initiated?
Proposal Details: India proposed research on an international governance index during a September 25, 2025, meeting with the IIAS Research Advisory Committee, positioning it as a core activity for trend analysis and scientific strategy enhancement.
Next Steps: A working group will develop the index, incorporating methodology from partners like the World Bank, OECD, and UN DESA; it will feature in the 2026 IIAS annual conference agenda.
DARPG Secretary's Statement: V Srinivas, IIAS President, emphasized pursuing collaborations and leveraging existing work to build a robust framework for the index.
Context of Achievements: This was highlighted in IIAS's 100-day achievement list under India's presidency, showcasing progress in governance research.
What Are the Existing Global Governance Indices and Why Is India Challenging Them?
Key Indices: Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) by World Bank (six dimensions: voice/accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, corruption control); Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) by University of Gothenburg (ranks on liberal democracy); Freedom in the World by Freedom House; Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index.
India's Rankings: In 2023 WGI, India's percentile ranks were low in political stability (21.33) and corruption control (41.51), but higher in government effectiveness (67.92); V-Dem 2025 ranked India 100/179 in liberal democracy, labeling it an "electoral autocracy" since 2017.
Criticisms: Indices rely on subjective opinions from Western experts without local context; EAC-PM (2022) noted they equate India's current status to the 1970s Emergency era, ignoring reforms; they influence credit ratings, investment, and global perceptions unfairly.
Broader Push: In 2023, Sanjeev Sanyal urged countering "agenda-driven" rankings; CEA Nageswaran (2023) called for transparency in WGI, as it lacks ground presence and uses opaque weights in assessments.
What Is the Background of India's Concerns with Global Rankings?
Historical Context: Post-2014, India improved in indices like Ease of Doing Business (from 142nd to 63rd by 2020) and Global Innovation Index (39th in 2024, up 42 spots since 2015), but slipped in governance-related ones amid criticisms of democratic backsliding.
Government Responses: EAC-PM's 2022 paper recommended Indian think tanks create alternative indices to break Western monopoly; Finance Ministry seminars highlighted biases in perception-based metrics.
Related Developments: India entered top 100 in SDG Index (2025) and ranks 96th in Corruption Perceptions Index (2024, score 38/100); these mixed results fuel calls for balanced, data-driven alternatives.
Global South Angle: Many developing nations face similar biases; India's proposal promotes inclusivity, echoing UN reforms for equitable representation.
How Will the New Index Differ and What Are Its Potential Impacts?
Proposed Features: Focus on objective, context-aware metrics with input from diverse sources, including Global South; trend analysis over static ranks; transparency in methodology to address subjectivity.
Differences from Existing: Unlike WGI's opinion-based approach, it may integrate ground data and partnerships for fairness; aims to avoid "neo-colonial" biases noted in 2023 critiques.
Impacts: Could improve India's global image, influence investments (e.g., lower borrowing costs via better ratings); encourage multilateral reforms; support SDG goals like good governance (SDG 16).
Challenges: Developing consensus among members; ensuring independence; potential resistance from Western institutions dominating current systems.
What Is the Broader Significance for India and Global Governance?
For India: Aligns with Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, countering narratives that hinder growth; boosts diplomatic influence via IIAS presidency.
Global Implications: Promotes equitable assessments, aiding Global South in attracting investments; echoes calls for UN reforms (e.g., Jaishankar's 2025 UNGA speech on threats to Global South rights).
Related Initiatives: India's AI governance push (2025 AI Summit prioritizing Global South) and deep-tech reforms show a pattern of challenging Western dominance in global standards.
Future Outlook: Success could inspire similar indices in areas like innovation or sustainability, fostering inclusive multilateralism.
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