Question map
"Rule of Law Index" is released by which of the following ?
Explanation
The World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index® 2025 is the latest report in an annual series measuring people's perceptions and experiences of the rule of law around the world.[1] This confirms that the World Justice Project has been releasing the Rule of Law Index annually, which includes the 2018 edition referenced in the question.
The Rule of Law Index is a comprehensive assessment tool that evaluates countries based on various dimensions of rule of law, including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. The 2017-2018 Rule of Law Index was compiled by the World Justice Project[2], further confirming that WJP is the organization responsible for this publication.
The other options are incorrect: Amnesty International focuses on human rights advocacy and campaigns; the International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the UN that settles disputes between states; and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights promotes and protects human rights but does not publish the Rule of Law Index.
Sources- [1] https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index/downloads/WJPIndex2025.pdf
- [2] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2018/603883/EXPO_STU(2018)603883_EN.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Index & Reports' question, a staple category in Prelims. It tests pure current affairs awareness rather than conceptual depth. The trap lies in the options: 'International Court of Justice' and 'OHCHR' sound authoritative enough to publish on 'Rule of Law', but judicial bodies rarely publish statistical rankings.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Did Amnesty International release the 2018 Rule of Law Index?
- Statement 2: Did the International Court of Justice release the 2018 Rule of Law Index?
- Statement 3: Did the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights release the 2018 Rule of Law Index?
- Statement 4: Did the World Justice Project release the 2018 Rule of Law Index?
Says Amnesty International prepares and publishes reports on human rights worldwide, showing Amnesty is a publisher of research/reports.
A student could check Amnesty's publications list (or website) for whether the specific 2018 'Rule of Law Index' appears among its releases.
Gives a clear definition of 'rule of law' as a legal/political concept, indicating the type of topic a rule-of-law index would cover.
Use this to identify which organizations typically produce comparative 'rule of law' indices (legal/research bodies) and then see if Amnesty is among them for 2018.
Describes an example index (Financial Secrecy Index) and explicitly names its producer (Tax Justice Network), illustrating that many indexes are produced by specialized organizations or networks, not necessarily by human-rights NGOs.
Compare known index producers' names with the publisher of the 'Rule of Law Index' (e.g., check the index front matter or announcement) to see if Amnesty is the publisher.
Mentions PISA as a worldwide index produced by a specific organization (OECD), reinforcing the pattern that indices are typically tied to particular institutional publishers.
A student could look up who officially publishes the 'Rule of Law Index' (publisher attribution) for 2018 and compare with Amnesty's publication record.
Shows Amnesty conducts investigations and reports on specific human-rights issues (e.g., Guantanamo), indicating its focus and typical subject-matter for reporting.
Use Amnesty's typical report themes to assess plausibility — if the 'Rule of Law Index' is a broad comparative index rather than themed human-rights reports, that may suggest a different publisher; then verify by checking the index's publisher.
- The document is titled as the WJP (World Justice Project) Rule of Law Index, showing the Index is produced by WJP.
- This passage refers to a Rule of Law Index report (2025), indicating the Index is a WJP publication rather than an ICJ product.
- This passage identifies the International Court of Justice as the "judicial organ of the United Nations," describing its role as a court.
- Being a judicial organ distinguishes the ICJ from the publisher role shown for the WJP Rule of Law Index.
Shows that some global indices (Financial Secrecy Index) are produced and unveiled by an independent network (Tax Justice Network), i.e., NGOs/independent bodies produce indices.
A student could check whether the Rule of Law Index is normally produced by an NGO/independent body rather than a court, making an ICJ release less likely.
Gives an example of an international organization (OECD) that computes and publishes regular international indices (PISA), indicating such indices are typically published by specialized organizations/agencies.
Use this pattern to ask whether the ICJ (a judicial body) is the typical publisher of such indices or whether a specialized organization publishes the Rule of Law Index.
Describes a government-linked body (NITI Aayog) releasing an index for the first time in 2018 (CWMI), showing national agencies also produce indices and that indices often have clear institutional authorship.
A student could look up the institutional author of the Rule of Law Index (which body named as publisher) to see if it matches the ICJ or a different organization.
Explains a judiciary's role in applying customary international law domestically, illustrating the judicial function (deciding legal questions) rather than acting as a statistical/index publisher.
Combine this with basic knowledge that courts issue judgments and advisory opinions to judge plausibility of a court (ICJ) being the publisher of a global policy index.
Shows that specific UN agencies (e.g., UNDP) publish annual reports and indices (Human Development Report/HDI).
A student could use this pattern to check which UN office typically publishes a given index and therefore test whether OHCHR (not UNDP) is the usual publisher of a 'Rule of Law' index in 2018.
Gives an example of a named UN report (Human Development Report 2023-24) that contains specific indices and tables, illustrating that reports are named and dated by year.
One could look for a similarly named 2018 report or index and see which organization authored a 'Rule of Law' index in that year.
Lists various UN agencies involved in social/economic issues and names the 'United Nations Human Rights Commision (UNHRC)' among them, indicating multiple distinct UN bodies work on rights-related issues.
A student could use this to distinguish between UN agencies (OHCHR vs others) and then verify which specific body releases a Rule of Law Index.
Notes that non-UN actors like Human Rights Watch research and publish on human rights, showing that both UN bodies and NGOs produce indices and reports.
This suggests checking both UN offices and NGOs as possible publishers of the 2018 Rule of Law Index rather than assuming OHCHR was the author.
Discusses debates about UN intervention and human rights, implying the UN's role in human-rights matters is complex and shared among actors.
A student might infer the need to identify which specific UN entity (with mandate and history of publishing indices) would plausibly release a Rule of Law Index in 2018.
- Explicitly names the '2017-2018 Rule of Law Index' and attributes it to the World Justice Project.
- References the index with a 2018 citation, indicating a WJP release for that period.
- States the WJP Rule of Law Index is an annual series, implying releases in prior years including 2018.
- Identifies the Rule of Law Index as a recurring WJP publication (2025 is noted as the latest).
Shows a precedent: the Financial Secrecy Index is an internationally compiled ranking unveiled by a named organization (Tax Justice Network).
A student could check whether the World Justice Project, similarly a named organization, publishes an annual 'Rule of Law Index' and whether a 2018 edition was released.
Gives an example of an index explicitly tied to a release year (CWMI first published in June 2018) indicating that indexes are commonly released with year labels.
Use this pattern to look for a 'Rule of Law Index' labeled 2018 and confirm its publisher and release date.
Another example of a government or organization releasing a dated index (SDG India Index 2019) showing institutions routinely publish yearly indices.
Apply the same expectation to see if the World Justice Project published an annual Rule of Law Index for 2018.
Shows how indexes are presented with year-by-year data, implying systematic annual reporting for indices.
Look for an annual report structure for the Rule of Law Index that would include a 2018 edition in its time series.
Discusses the 'Rule of Law' as a defined doctrine, indicating the subject matter of a 'Rule of Law Index' is a recognized and measured concept.
Reason that an organization monitoring rule-of-law metrics (like World Justice Project) would plausibly produce a titled index for specific years, e.g., 2018.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter (if you read annual compilations) / Trap (if you guessed based on the word 'Law'). Source: Major Current Affairs magazines (Vision/Insights) or The Hindu editorials discussing India's rank.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Global Governance & Development Indicators. (Theme: Who measures the world?)
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize these Publisher-Index pairs: 1. Global Gender Gap (WEF) 2. Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders) 3. Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International) 4. Global Hunger Index (Concern Worldwide/Welthungerhilfe) 5. Democracy Index (EIU).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize the exact score of every country. Focus on: 1. The Publisher (Is it UN, WEF, World Bank, or an NGO?), 2. India's trend (Rising/Falling), and 3. The parameters used (e.g., WJP uses 8 factors like 'Order and Security' and 'Civil Justice').
Relevant because the claim attributes a specific index to Amnesty; references state Amnesty prepares and publishes human-rights reports and documents conditions (e.g., Guantanamo).
High-yield: UPSC often asks about mandates and typical outputs of international NGOs. Understanding what Amnesty routinely publishes (reports, documentation) helps distinguish between its normal work and specialized indices. Connects to questions on NGO roles, credibility of sources, and human-rights advocacy; prepare by comparing mandates of major NGOs and examples of their publications.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Amnesty International > p. 59
- Democratic Politics-I. Political Science-Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS > Prison in Guantanamo Bay > p. 75
The disputed item is a 'Rule of Law Index'; references define and discuss 'rule of law' and its constitutional importance.
High-yield: Knowledge of what 'rule of law' means and its legal status is frequently tested in polity and governance sections. Helps evaluate the content and purpose of any 'rule of law' measurement and frame answers about indices assessing legal institutions. Study landmark cases and textbook definitions to answer conceptual and applied questions.
- Democratic Politics-I. Political Science-Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS > Right to Equality > p. 79
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 8: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES > REFERENCES > p. 164
Determining whether Amnesty produced a specific index requires awareness that many global indices are published by specialized networks or institutions (example: Financial Secrecy Index by Tax Justice Network).
Medium-high: UPSC can ask which bodies produce well-known indices and rankings. Mastering which organizations publish which indices improves accuracy in static and current-affairs questions. Build a list of major indices and their publishers; practice matching questions and source-evaluation tasks.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 5: Indian Tax Structure and Public Finance > FINANCIAL SECRECY INDEX 2020 > p. 104
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Amnesty International > p. 59
The statement mentions 'Rule of Law'; several references discuss the Rule of Law as a core constitutional principle in India.
High-yield for Polity: understanding 'Rule of Law' as a basic feature helps answer questions on constitutional doctrine, judicial review, and limitations on amendments. Connects to landmark judgments and the role of courts in interpreting fundamental rights. Master via landmark case studies and diagramming doctrine interactions.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > II Equality before Law and Equal Protection of Laws > p. 78
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 8: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES > REFERENCES > p. 164
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 8: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES > Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties IJl > p. 163
The claim is about who released an index; references show various indices and their publishers (e.g., Tax Justice Network, OECD, NITI Aayog).
Useful for UPSC: many questions ask which body publishes which index. Knowing typical publishers (international organizations, NGOs, national bodies) helps quickly accept/reject attribution claims. Learn by creating a list of common indices and their publishers and practicing source-identification questions.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 5: Indian Tax Structure and Public Finance > FINANCIAL SECRECY INDEX 2020 > p. 104
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > 18.24 Indian Economy > p. 534
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 6: Economic Planning in India > Details Name of the Index Developed by NITI Aayog in partnership with the Ministry of Road Composite Water Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources and States/ Management Index UTs. It was released for the first time in 2018. (CWMI) It is a tool to assess and improve the performance of States/Union (or Territories) in efficient management of water resources. Thereafter, CWMI 2 > p. 149
The references show UNDP publishes the annual Human Development Report (HDR) that includes indices like HDI, illustrating that specific UN bodies produce flagship indices/reports.
High-yield for UPSC: helps distinguish which UN organs publish which global indices (useful for questions on sources of data and institutional mandates). Connects to international organisations, development indices, and source-based questions. Learn by mapping major UN agencies to their signature reports.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 3. Human Development Index > p. 282
- FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Human Development > INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS > p. 19
A provided reference lists multiple UN agencies (WHO, UNDP, UNHRC/UNHCR, UNICEF, UNESCO), highlighting that different UN bodies have distinct functional roles.
Important for UPSC aspirants to correctly attribute functions to the right UN agency (prevents factual errors in answers). This concept links international organisation questions with governance and human rights topics and is useful for matching reports/indices to issuing bodies.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Chapter 4 International Organisations > p. 50
The WJP Rule of Law Index measures performance across 8 factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice. (UPSC may ask 'Which of the following is NOT a parameter?').
Functional Logic: The 'International Court of Justice' (ICJ) is a court; courts deliver judgments, they do not compile statistical Excel sheets or rankings. 'Amnesty International' is an activist watchdog; they publish qualitative 'Reports' on violations, not quantitative 'Indices'. This leaves WJP as the only specialized research entity likely to crunch data.
Use this in GS-2 (Governance): When writing about Judicial Pendency or Police Reforms, quote the WJP Index findings on 'Civil Justice' delays to substantiate your argument with hard data rather than generic complaints.