Important Index for UPSC Mains 2025
Sheetal Gaur25 Jul, 2025
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Important Index for UPSC Mains 2025 is are crucial tool for understanding global and national trends that impact India’s development, governance, economy, and international relations. These indices are often published by reputed international organizations and serve as valuable data points for analytical answers in the UPSC Civil Services Mains exam. Read on for a list of important index for UPSC Mains 2025.
Types of Important Indexes to Study for UPSC Mains
Candidates need to study a variety of national and international indexes as part of the UPSC Mains syllabus. These indices help in understanding global and domestic issues, trends, and the performance of countries, including India, across different sectors. Some key types include:
| Category | Index Name (Publishing Organization) |
| Economic Indices |
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| Social Indices |
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| Environmental Indices |
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| Governance & Political Indices |
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| Health & Well-being Indices |
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| Sectoral Indices |
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Important Economic Indices for UPSC Mains 2025
Economic indices help assess a country's economic health and trends. The economic index data is crucial for answering UPSC Mains questions related to the economy and development. Here are some key economic indices and India's position in them:
| Index | Published by | India's Rank | Relevance for UPSC Mains |
| International IP Index 2025 | U.S. Chamber of Commerce | 43rd (36.45% score) | GS Paper III, Issues Related to Intellectual Property Rights |
| Logistic Performance Index | World Bank | 38th (2023) | Logistics and infrastructure development-related questions, relevant to GS Paper III. |
| Global Innovation Index | World Intellectual Property Organization | 39th (2024) | Useful for explaining the innovation ecosystem, relevant for GS Paper III. |
| Global Competitiveness Index | International Institute for Management Development | 39th (2024) | Essay and GS III Paper, support points on policy changes, India’s growth potential |
| World Economic Outlook | International Monetary Fund | Projected India’s Growth at 6.5% in 2025 | Relevant to quote in the Essay and GS III Paper. |
| QS World Future Skills Index 2025 | Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) | 25th | Can be quoted in skill development-related answers in UPSC Mains |
| World Competitiveness Index | International Institute for Management Development (IMD) | 39th | Reflect country growth at global level, useful for UPSC GS III and Essay |
Important Social Indices for UPSC Mains 2025
The important index for UPSC Mains 2025 provides insights into the social conditions and development of India across various parameters like hunger, poverty, women's empowerment, etc. They help in analysing government policies and their effectiveness.
| Index | Published by | India's Rank | Relevance for UPSC Mains |
| Human Development Report 2025 | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 130th | Crucial for topics on human development, social indicators, and comparison with other nations in GS Paper II. |
| Global Gender Gap Index | World Economic Forum | 131st | It can be quoted in women's empowerment topics, relevant for GS Paper I and GS Paper II. |
| Gender Inequality Index (GII) | UNDP | 108th (2024) | Important for questions on gender inequality and women's issues, relevant for GS Paper I and II. |
| Global Hunger Index | Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe | 105th (2024) | Food security, hunger issues, and India's performance. Challenges for India’s overall development. |
| World Happiness Report | UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network | 118th | Relevant for GS Papers, Essays, and some Optional papers like Sociology. |
| Global Terrorism Index | Institute for Economics and Peace | 14th (Score 6.411) | Useful in the internal security section of GS III, India’s counter-terrorism measures |
| QS World University Rankings 2026 | Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) | 123rd (IIT Delhi) | It can be quoted as an example to show India’s improvement in skills, development, and innovation. |
Important Environment Indices for UPSC Mains 2025
Environmental indices are crucial for assessing the environmental health and sustainability efforts of a country. Candidates can analyze India’s performance on various environmental parameters to understand environmental policies and their impacts. Some environmental indices that must be known are:
| Index | Published by | India's Rank | Relevance for UPSC Mains |
| Environment Performance Index | World Economic Forum, Yale, Columbia | 176th (2024) | Can be used in environmental policies, sustainability issues, and India's performance, relevant for GS Paper III. |
| Climate Change Performance Index 2025 | Germanwatch | 10th | Environmental policies, climate change issues (Essay and GS Paper III) |
| World Air Quality Report | IQAir | 3rd (2024) | Air quality issues, the impact of air pollution on health, and pollution control measures (GS III) |
| Energy Transition Index 2025 | World Economic Forum | 71st | India’s initiative for clean energy and energy efficiency, GS III Paper |
| Air Quality Life Index 2024 | University of Chicago (EPIC) | Delhi has an 84.3 µg/m³ PM2.5 level | Relevant for GS III and pollution issues related questions. |
Other Important Indices for UPSC Mains 2025
In addition to these, several important indices and reports are crucial for UPSC Mains 2025. Familiarizing yourself with these indices will help you provide well-rounded and informed answers to current affairs and policy-related questions. Here is a list of a few indices and India's rank:
| Index | Published by | India's Rank | Relevance for UPSC Mains |
| Military Strength Ranking 2025 | Global Firepower (GFP) | 4rth | Useful in UPSC Mains GS 3 paper's internal security section |
| Global Remittances Inflow Report 2025 | World Bank | Top recipient | Highlights economic ties, relevant for UPSC Mains GS III paper |
| Global Peace Index 2025 | Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) | 115th | An improvement in ranking showing stronger law enforcement, useful in UPSC Mains GS III, Essay, and Ethics |
| Democracy Index | Economist Intelligence Unit | 53rd, flawed democracy (2024) | Assesses the state of democracy, relevant for UPSC Mains GS 2 paper's governance topics. |
| Rule of Law Index 2023 | World Justice Project | 79th (2024) | Evaluate the rule of law, important for legal, ethical, and governance discussions in GS and Essay papers |
| Henley Passport Index | Henley & Partners/International Air Transport Authority (IATA) | 85th | Useful in GS Paper II and GS III in topics related to soft power and global perception of India. |
Why Use Important Index for UPSC Mains 2025?
Key Indices for UPSC Mains 2025 offer valuable insights into a country’s performance across critical areas such as economic growth, social development, and environmental sustainability. Referring to the important index for UPSC Mains 2025 can enhance answer quality in the following ways:
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Provides Objective Data: Using data from important indices allows candidates to write fact-based, well-informed answers.
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Reflects Awareness of Current Affairs: Familiarity with global and national rankings highlights a candidate's grasp of ongoing developments and policy impacts.
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Improves Answer Presentation: Including relevant statistics and index scores strengthens arguments and lends credibility to responses.
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Demonstrates Analytical Ability: Analyzing and interpreting index data showcases a candidate’s critical thinking and ability to draw meaningful conclusions.
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Important Index for UPSC Mains 2025 FAQs
Which report is important for UPSC Mains 2025?
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