A framework for measuring goodness — trust, integrity, compassion and responsibility — in individuals, families, organisations, communities and nations.
Not a replacement for GDP. A new compass beside it.
Alignment of word and action when no one is watching.
Indicators: Honesty under pressure · owning mistakes · fairness in small transactions
Responsibility
Ownership of outcomes beyond one's own role.
Indicators: Keeping commitments · civic initiative · stepping in before being asked
Compassion
Noticing and responding to the needs of others.
Indicators: Attention to the isolated · dignity for service workers · care in friendship
Respect
Regard for people, time and difference.
Indicators: Listening fully · queue and shared-space etiquette · courtesy across hierarchy
Stewardship
Care for shared resources and the future.
Indicators: Waste and energy habits · reuse and passing-on · leaving places better
The consistency principle
Goodness is not a single generous act. The Index measures how steadily the five foundations hold across very different situations — at home, at work, in public and online.
Individuals
A private Goodness Score from fifteen situational questions, scored by a deterministic rubric. A mirror, never a public rank.
Money, power and status are instruments. The Pentad names what they should serve: the physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual dimensions of a life. Goodness is the nutrient common to all five.
From 2028–29, institutions can be assessed and certified against the Goodness Index standard.
Assess
A structured review of policies, culture and outcomes across the Five Foundations, with anonymised staff and student surveys.
Certify
Three tiers of certification, valid for two years, with a public register and the right to use the GI mark.
Improve
An improvement plan and annual re-measurement — certification as a practice, not a plaque.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Goodness Score a social-credit system?
No. Individual scores are private, calculated in your browser, never uploaded and never ranked. The Institute's charter forbids public rankings of individuals. Only aggregated, anonymised data is used for institutional and national indices.
Who decides what counts as good?
The rubric is deterministic, published, and reviewed with faculty at IITs, IIITs, IIMs and TISS. It measures observable behaviours — honesty, responsibility, compassion, respect, stewardship — not beliefs, politics or religion.
How is this different from the Happiness Index?
The Happiness Index measures how people feel. The Goodness Index measures how they live and relate to others. Happiness is the state; goodness is the action that sustains it.
When does the Index reach the United Nations?
Foundational research completes in 2026–27; the submission is planned for 2027–28, with recognition targeted by 2029–30 and a World Goodness Ranking by 2033.
Goodness grows when it is practised together
Schools, universities, NGOs, companies and citizens are building this with us. Start with your own Goodness Score — or bring the work to your institution.
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