Question map
Which one of the following is not a sub-index of the World Bank's 'Ease of Doing Business Index'?
Explanation
The correct answer is option A: Maintenance of law and order.
The World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index is computed using 10 indicators based on the life cycle of a business[3], which include: Starting a business, Dealing with construction permits, Getting electricity, Registering property, Getting credit, Protecting minority investors, Paying taxes, Trading[1] across borders, and Enforcing contracts[1].
"Maintenance of law and order" is not among these 10 indicators. The report is also known as the Ease of Doing Business Report and is published annually[4] by the World Bank. It aims to provide a basis for understanding and improving the regulatory environment for businesses by analyzing and comparing business regulations and protection of property rights across 190 economies[5].
Options B (Paying taxes), C (Registering property), and D (Dealing with construction permits) are all officially listed sub-indices of the Ease of Doing Business Index, making them incorrect choices for this question.
Sources- [1] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > 12.24 Indian Economy > p. 398
- [2] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > 12.24 Indian Economy > p. 398
- [3] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > 12.24 Indian Economy > p. 398
- [4] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > Doing Business Report > p. 527
- [5] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > EASE OF DOING BUSINESS REPORT > p. 397
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Index Anatomy' question. It is not enough to know India's rank; you must memorize the specific parameters (sub-indices) of major reports (HDI, MPI, EoDB, GHI). If an index is in the news due to a ranking jump, UPSC asks 'what changed?', which requires knowing the components.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is "Maintenance of law and order" a sub-index of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index?
- Statement 2: Is "Paying taxes" a sub-index of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index?
- Statement 3: Is "Registering property" a sub-index of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index?
- Statement 4: Is "Dealing with construction permits" a sub-index of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index?
- Passage lists specific Ease of Doing Business components (Overall rank, Enforcement of Contracts, Trading across borders) but does not mention 'Maintenance of law and order'.
- Shows the types of indicators used by the Ease of Doing Business index (contract enforcement, trading across borders), implying the index focuses on business regulatory factors rather than a 'law and order' sub-index.
- Passage enumerates areas covered in Ease of Doing Business assessments (investor protection, cost of establishing a business, access to credit, tax system, resolving insolvency, contract enforcement) and omits any 'maintenance of law and order' item.
- This supports that Ease of Doing Business focuses on business regulations and processes rather than a general public-order sub-index.
States the Doing Business report is based on 10 quantitative indicators used to compute the Ease of Doing Business Index.
A student could check the canonical list of those 10 indicators to see whether 'maintenance of law and order' appears among them.
Provides a (partial) detailed list of the 10 indicators (e.g., Starting a business, Dealing with construction permits, Getting electricity, Registering property, Getting credit, Protecting minority investors, Paying taxes, Trading across borders, Enforcing contracts).
Comparing this enumerated list with the phrase 'maintenance of law and order' lets a student judge whether that phrase matches any listed indicator or is absent.
Defines the report's aim as analyzing and comparing business regulations and protection of property rights across economies — suggesting the index focuses on regulatory/business procedures rather than general public order metrics.
Use this scope to reason that 'maintenance of law and order' (a broad public security measure) is unlikely to be an Ease of Doing Business sub-index unless framed as a specific regulatory/business procedure.
Gives an example of another index composed of 10 clearly named sub-components, illustrating that indices typically list specific, named sub-components rather than broad phrases.
A student could apply that pattern to expect the Doing Business index's sub-components to be similarly concrete and then look for a matching concrete sub-component for 'law and order' (which is not among the ones listed in snippet 3).
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