Question map
Which of the following gives 'Global Gender Gap Index' ranking to the countries of the world ?
Explanation
The Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) is published by the World Economic Forum.[1] In 2020, it ranked 153 countries on their status of gender equality through various parameters.[1] This index is a comprehensive measure that assesses gender-based disparities across multiple dimensions including economic participation, educational attainment, health, and political empowerment. In the Global Gender Gap Index 2020, India's ranking was 112th.[1]
It is important not to confuse the Global Gender Gap Index with the Gender Development Index (GDI). UNDP calculates GDI as a part of its Human Development Report.[1] While both indices relate to gender issues, they are published by different organizations and measure different aspects of gender inequality. The World Economic Forum specifically publishes the Global Gender Gap Index, making option A the correct answer.
Sources- [1] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a 'bread and butter' question for any serious aspirant. Major global indices (WEF, World Bank, IMF, UNDP) are mandatory memorization. If you missed this, your coverage of 'Reports & Indices' in current affairs was superficial.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Does the World Economic Forum publish the Global Gender Gap Index ranking of countries worldwide?
- Statement 2: Does the United Nations Human Rights Council publish the Global Gender Gap Index ranking of countries worldwide?
- Statement 3: Does UN Women publish the Global Gender Gap Index ranking of countries worldwide?
- Statement 4: Does the World Health Organization publish the Global Gender Gap Index ranking of countries worldwide?
- Explicitly names 'Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI)' and states 'It is published by the World Economic Forum.'
- Describes the GGGI as ranking countries (153 countries in 2020), indicating global coverage.
- Chapter summary reiterates 'Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) published by World Economic Forum'.
- Provides a country-specific rank (India 112th in 2020), showing the index issues country rankings.
- Explicitly attributes the Global Gender Gap Index to the World Economic Forum, identifying the WEF as the producer.
- States the index "contains information on 153 countries," supporting that the index is a global country ranking produced by WEF, not the UN body.
- Repeats source attribution to the World Economic Forum for the Global Gender Gap Index (2020).
- Specifies the set of economies covered, reinforcing that the WEF publishes the global rankings.
Explicitly states the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) is published by the World Economic Forum.
A student can use this to infer that an independent body (WEF) — not a UN body — is the GGGI publisher, so check whether UN agencies typically publish similarly named indices.
Repeats that the Global Gender Gap Index is published by the World Economic Forum and gives an example country ranking.
Use this corroboration to strengthen the expectation that GGGI is WEF-produced and not from a UN council; then compare lists of indices published by UN bodies.
Shows the UNDP publishes the Human Development Report and includes gender-related indices (e.g., Gender Inequality Index), indicating UN agencies publish their own gender metrics under different names.
A student can note naming differences (GII vs GGGI) and check whether the UN’s gender indices match the GGGI name — if not, that suggests different publishers.
Describes the UNDP’s routine of publishing the Human Development Report and ranking countries, illustrating the pattern that UN entities publish specific indexes under UN programmes.
Combine this pattern with evidence that GGGI is WEF-made to reason that UN bodies (like UNDP or UNHRC) would list their own indices rather than the GGGI unless they explicitly collaborate.
- Explicitly identifies the Global Gender Gap Index as authored by the World Economic Forum.
- Shows researchers refer to the index as 'by the World Economic Forum', indicating WEF is the source/publisher.
- The passage cites the index with a source attribution to the World Economic Forum.
- Attribution of the Global Gender Gap Index to WEF indicates it is not published by another organization such as UN Women.
- The document is the Global Gender Gap Report (2017) associated with the World Economic Forum.
- Notes that permission to use the database must be obtained from the World Economic Forum, showing WEF control over the index/report.
Explicitly states that the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) is published by the World Economic Forum and gives its 2020 ranking.
A student could use this rule (GGGI = WEF) plus a quick check of WEF publications or UN Women pages to see which organisation actually issues the GGGI.
Reiterates that the Global Gender Gap Index is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and gives India's 2020 rank.
Reinforces that GGGI is associated with WEF rather than UN bodies; a student could compare lists of WEF indices and UN Women outputs to test the claim.
Shows that UNDP (a UN agency) publishes particular gender-related indices (e.g., Gender Inequality Index) via the Human Development Report, illustrating that different gender indices are produced by different organisations.
A student can generalise that gender indices may be issued by various bodies (UNDP, WEF), so they should check which specific agency publishes the GGGI.
Explains that UNDP publishes the annual Human Development Report and associated indices, demonstrating a pattern where major indices are clearly attributed to particular organisations.
A student could apply this pattern (indices are typically attributed to a specific publisher) to verify whether UN Women is the named publisher of the GGGI.
Notes that the World Economic Forum publishes other annual indices (e.g., Global Energy Transition Index), showing WEF routinely issues global indices.
A student could extend this by noting WEF's role in publishing multiple global rankings and therefore treating a GGGI attribution to WEF as consistent and worth verifying against UN Women outputs.
- Explicitly names the Global Gender Gap Index as produced by the World Economic Forum.
- Uses the index as an external data source, indicating WEF authorship rather than WHO.
- Cites the Global Gender Gap Index with a clear source attribution to the World Economic Forum.
- Shows the index name together with the WEF source and year, reinforcing WEF as the publisher.
- Is the Global Gender Gap Report (WEF) itself, indicating the report and index are World Economic Forum products.
- States permissions and references tied to the World Economic Forum, linking the index to WEF ownership.
This snippet explicitly states the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) is published by the World Economic Forum and gives an example ranking (India = 112th in 2020).
A student could check WHO's index/publication list (or WEF's site) to see which organization actually issues GGGI and thus judge whether WHO is the publisher.
The chapter summary again names the Global Gender Gap Index and attributes it to the World Economic Forum, showing the pattern that large global indices are tied to specific organizations.
Use this pattern to compare publishers: look up WHO's regular reports to see if GGGI appears among them (if not, it supports that WHO does not publish it).
Shows that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publishes the Human Development Report and related indices, illustrating the general rule that major global indices are published by distinct international organizations.
Apply this rule by checking which organization publishes a named index — consult WHO's publications list to see whether GGGI is among WHO outputs or belongs to another body.
Reinforces that UNDP is the recognized publisher of the annual Human Development Report (and its indices), further supporting the idea that indexes are normally explicitly credited to their publishing organization.
A student could use this habit of attribution to search WHO materials for explicit credit; absence of such credit would suggest WHO is not the publisher.
Gives an example where another index (Global Hunger Index) is published jointly by specific organizations, illustrating that index names are commonly linked to their publisher(s).
By analogy, verify GGGI's publisher by checking authoritative sources (WEF, WHO) for an explicit publisher attribution; comparable attribution elsewhere supports that WHO is unlikely the publisher.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Found in every standard Economy book (e.g., Nitin Singhania Ch. 2) and every annual Current Affairs compilation.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: International Organizations & Reports. Specifically, the confusion between similar-sounding gender indices.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Big 4' WEF Reports: 1. Global Competitiveness Report, 2. Global Gender Gap Report, 3. Global Risks Report, 4. Energy Transition Index. Contrast these with UNDP's 'Gender Inequality Index' (GII).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not just memorize India's rank. The primary question is always 'Who publishes it?'. Create a 2-column table: [Organization] vs [List of Reports]. Focus on WEF, WB, IMF, and WTO.
The references explicitly state the GGGI is published by the World Economic Forum and that it ranks countries worldwide.
High-yield: UPSC often asks about major global indices and their publishers. Knowing who publishes an index and whether it provides country rankings helps answer questions on gender, development, and international comparisons. Prepare by memorising major indices, publishers, and typical coverage (global/regional) and practice matching indices to topics (gender, human development, economy).
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > CHAPTER SUMMARY > p. 29
Evidence shows WEF publishes GGGI and other indices (e.g., Inclusive Development Index), highlighting WEF's role in producing global rankings.
Useful for GS Paper references: WEF commonly appears as the publisher of global rankings asked in prelims/mains. Master this to quickly attribute indices (e.g., GGGI, IDI) to WEF, and understand which topics (gender, development, competitiveness) these indices inform. Build a one-page table of major indices and publishers for revision.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Challenges in Achieving Inclusive Growth in India: > p. 24
The statement concerns who publishes the GGGI; the references identify the GGGI and explicitly name its publisher.
High-yield for UPSC: questions often ask which international body publishes a given global index. Knowing that the World Economic Forum publishes the GGGI helps distinguish WEF outputs from UN outputs; prepare by making a quick reference list of major indices and their publishers.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > CHAPTER SUMMARY > p. 29
The references show UNDP publishes the Human Development Report and associated indices, providing a contrast to who publishes the GGGI.
Frequently tested in development and international organisations topics. Understanding which indices come from UNDP (HDI, GDI, GII, MPI) vs other bodies prevents confusion in answer choice elimination; revise by studying HDR summaries and the list of indices it contains.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 3. Human Development Index > p. 282
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
The evidence shows multiple agencies publish global rankings (e.g., WEF for GGGI, UNDP for HDR indices, Concern Worldwide for GHI), relevant to the question about UNHRC publishing an index.
Useful for UPSC prelims and mains to attribute indices correctly and discuss credibility/mandate of publishers. Build a comparative table (index — publisher — focus) and practice likely question patterns (match the index to the publisher; explain mandates).
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX (GHI) 2020 > p. 338
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 3. Human Development Index > p. 282
References identify the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) and explicitly attribute its publication to the World Economic Forum, which directly bears on the claim about UN Women.
UPSC often asks about major global indices and their issuing organisations (to test source credibility and policy relevance). Knowing that GGGI is a WEF index helps differentiate between UN and non‑UN sources for gender metrics; prepare by tabulating key indices and their publishers and practising source-based questions.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > CHAPTER SUMMARY > p. 29
Evidence shows UNDP publishes the Human Development Report and gender‑related indices (GDI, GII), highlighting that gender indices can come from different international bodies.
High-yield for GS and ethics: questions probe UNDP/UN indices versus other bodies. Master the scope and components of HDR, GDI, GII to answer comparative questions and evaluate data sources; revise by comparing index definitions and publishers.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 2: Economic Growth versus Economic Development > Gender Development Index > p. 26
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 3. Human Development Index > p. 282
The 'Gender Inequality Index' (GII) is NOT published by WEF or UN Women independently; it is a component of the UNDP's Human Development Report. Also, watch out for the 'Global Risks Report'—another WEF flagship often confused with UN reports.
Think about the mandate. WHO (Option D) deals with health, too narrow for a 'Global Gap' covering economy/politics. UNHRC (Option B) deals with rights violations, not statistical rankings. The real confusion is UN Women vs WEF. Rule of Thumb: 'Indices' ranking economic/development potential are usually from Economic bodies (WEF, WB, UNDP), while UN specialized agencies (UN Women) focus on policy/advocacy.
Mains GS-1 (Society) & GS-2 (Social Justice): The 4 pillars of this index (Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health & Survival, Political Empowerment) form the exact framework you should use to write answers on 'Gender Issues in India'.