The Human Freedom Index 2020 has been jointly released by Fraser Institute in Canada and the Cato Institute in the United States. 

• The index presents a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraints. 
• It uses a 0 to 10 scale to measure personal freedom based on parameters such as rule of law, safety and security, identity and relationships, freedom of movement, economic freedom, and ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions without government or crony interference. 

• New Zealand has topped the index followed by Switzerland and Hong Kong. India has been placed at the 111th spot out of 162 countries. 

Source: The Hindu