According to the 2014 “State of the World's Mothers” index, what was India's global rank among the listed countries?

Introduction / Context:
The “State of the World's Mothers” index is an annual report published by the humanitarian organisation Save the Children. It evaluates and ranks countries on factors affecting mothers and children, such as maternal health, child mortality, education and economic status. This question tests your knowledge of India's position in the 2014 edition of this index, which has implications for understanding social development and public health in India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The index in question is the 2014 “State of the World's Mothers” report.
• We need India's rank in that specific year.
• The options give different ranks out of 178 countries.

Concept / Approach:
In the 2014 report, India was ranked relatively low in terms of the overall situation of mothers. The report highlighted challenges such as maternal mortality, child health, nutrition and inequality. The specific rank recorded for India in that year was 137th out of 178 countries. This figure is often quoted in exam-oriented current affairs compilations from that period.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the “State of the World's Mothers” index ranks countries based on indicators of mothers' and children's well-being.Step 2: Note that in 2014, India's performance was considered weak compared to many other countries, placing it towards the lower half of the rankings.Step 3: The precise rank reported for India in 2014 was 137th among 178 countries.Step 4: Compare this with the options that mention 137th, 140th, 128th and 150th.Step 5: Select “137th out of 178 countries” as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard current affairs archives and summaries of the 2014 report confirm the figure of 137/178 for India. You can also reason that while India fared poorly, it was not at the very bottom; hence extremely low numbers like 150th would likely be too pessimistic compared to published data. The figure 137th is therefore both specific and consistent with documented sources for that year.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 140th out of 178 countries: Close but still inaccurate; this is a distractor that might tempt candidates who only remember that the rank was “somewhere in the 130s–140s”.
• 128th out of 178 countries: This suggests a slightly better performance than actually recorded; again, not the correct number.
• 150th out of 178 countries: Exaggerates India's poor ranking beyond what the 2014 report reported.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates remember only approximate positions or confuse rankings across different years or different reports (for example, Human Development Index, Global Hunger Index, etc.). The similarity between 137, 140 and other numbers adds to the confusion. To avoid this, note the exact phrase “137th out of 178 countries” for the 2014 State of the World's Mothers index when revising older current-affairs-based static GK questions.

Final Answer:
According to the 2014 “State of the World's Mothers” index, India was ranked 137th out of 178 countries.