Happiness: India's Missing Metric for True Progress

The Happiness Trail

There's an old saying in India - "Jo khush hai, wahi Raja hai" (The one who is happy is the true king). And yet, for a country that has such a rich philosophical tradition emphasizing the pursuit of happiness and contentment, India ranks a lowly 125th out of 146 countries in the World Happiness Report 2023.

But what exactly is this "happiness index", and why should India care? More importantly, how can measuring and investing in happiness benefit the nation? Let's explore this idea, shall we?

The Happiness Quotient

The World Happiness Report is an annual publication by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It ranks countries based on how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be, using data from surveys by Gallup and other sources. The rankings are calculated using six key factors:

1) GDP per capita

2) Social support

3) Healthy life expectancy

4) Freedom to make life choices

5) Generosity

6) Perceptions of corruption

At first glance, these may seem like rather academic or abstract concepts. But a closer look reveals their deep impact on the overall well-being and life satisfaction of people. After all, what good is economic prosperity if you can't access quality healthcare, have no autonomy in key life decisions, lack a support system, and live in a miasma of graft?

The top countries have got the happiness formula right - the Nordic nations like Finland, Denmark and Iceland consistently rank the highest. Their success lies in robust social security nets, high levels of personal and political freedoms, low inequality and corruption levels. In short, they create an environment conducive for people to flourish.

The Indian Happiness Trail

So where does India fall short on the happiness parameters? Let's take a look:

Economic Prosperity: While India's GDP has been growing steadily, there are huge inequalities in income and wealth distribution. Poverty and lack of access to basic resources dents life satisfaction for millions. According to World Bank, over 160 million Indians survived on less than $1.90 per day in 2021.

Healthcare: India ranks 155th out of 167 countries in health security capabilities. Lack of affordable healthcare, low public health spending, poor sanitation and water quality take a big toll on our life expectancy and well-being indicators.

Freedom: Issues like lack of personal autonomy, restrictive laws around choice of relationships/sexuality, societal pressures and lack of political freedoms and human rights in some regions negatively impact our scores.

Social Support: While traditional community bonds are slowly eroding, India also lacks a robust social security system covering all citizens - whether it's unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, childcare or insurance coverage.

Generosity: India has a relatively high score (around 28% of population) for people donating or helping strangers. But more systemic volunteering and philanthropy efforts are needed to scale impact.

Corruption: With a score of 38/100 in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, corruption continues to be a major roadblock for progress and happiness in India.

The catalysts for raising India's happiness levels aren't very different from our core development priorities - poverty alleviation, universal healthcare, social security, infrastructure for a higher standard of living, accountable governance and more freedoms. But the true value of the happiness index lies in measuring what actually leads to life satisfaction and sustainable well-being - not just economic metrics.

Happiness as the True Wealth

"Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product," declared Bhutan's former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1972, putting the reclusive Himalayan kingdom firmly on the global happiness map. While the concept has ancient Buddhist roots, Bhutan was a trailblazer in adopting Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a formal public policy to guide governance.

The four pillars of GNH - sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation and good governance - are aimed at achieving happiness for all Bhutanese through pursuing a "middle path" between material and spiritual development. Initiatives include preserving the country's biodiversity, reducing emissions, free healthcare, investing in cultural traditions and decentralized governance.

Bhutan consistently ranks towards the top in global happiness rankings. The tiny nation of under 800,000 people believes that only by balancing economic measures with the spiritual, cultural and emotional needs of its people can true wealth be created.

Other countries are now waking up to this wisdom too. New Zealand introduced the world's first "well-being" budget in 2019, directed towards tackling issues like mental health, child poverty and domestic violence. The UAE has a Minister of Happiness. Iceland ranked the 4th happiest nation in 2023, thanks to its focus on work-life balance, gender parity and sustainability.

The Economics of Happiness

Apart from the evident moral and philosophical arguments for prioritizing human happiness, there is also a strong economic rationale. Multiple studies have linked happiness with increased productivity, better decision-making, creativity and even longer life expectancy. On the other hand, mental stress costs American businesses up to $500 billion per year through absenteeism, low productivity and medical costs.

It's no surprise then, that companies too are actively focusing on employee well-being and life satisfaction as key variables impacting their bottom-line. Google famously has a team tracking心ratios of employee happiness to revenue generated!

At a national level, the costs of an unhappy society are equally severe - poor health outcomes, lower economic participation, increased law and order costs, brain drain and social unrest. According to some estimates, mental health issues alone cost India over $1.03 trillion annually in lost productivity and other setbacks - a staggering 28% of our GDP.

The Road to Happiness

So if investing in happiness makes so much sense, what's holding India back? Part of the problem lies in a fundamental crisis of vision and priorities. For too long, policymakers have equated development with merely chasing economic metrics like GDP growth, despite ample evidence that this approach is unsustainable and incomplete.

Just like the countries leading the happiness charts, India needs a shift in perspective - bringing human well-being and life satisfaction squarely at the centre of public policy and governance. This could start with developing a nationally agreed framework and index for measuring happiness and its key constituents across states.

The happiness curriculum for schoolchildren introduced in a few Indian states is a good start, aiming to build emotional resilience and mindfulness at a young age. But a lot more can be done across areas like mental healthcare, social security, work-life balance, decriminalization of personal freedoms, curbing corruption and sustainable development among others.

We could take inspiration from international best practices like Bhutan's Gross National Happiness model or New Zealand's well-being budget. Country-wide citizen surveys capturing life satisfaction scores across various demographic groups and geographies can offer valuable bottom-up insights. Dedicated government bodies and public consultations can then build implementable policies based on this data.

Some key areas where investments in happiness can move the needle:

Universal Healthcare: Increasing public spending on healthcare from a dismal 1.3% of GDP currently to at least 5-6% as recommended by WHO. This will ensure affordable access to quality medical services for all Indians.

Social Safety Nets: Building comprehensive social security coverage including unemployment benefits, pensions, insurance, and childcare support to enhance financial stability and work-life balance.

Robust Justice System: Speeding up judicial processes and police reforms to strengthen personal freedoms and security. Decriminalizing issues like same-gender relationships.

Decentralized Governance: Devolving more decision-making powers to local bodies for grassroots-led development which is more context-aware and sustainable.

Environmental Priorities: Investing heavily in clean energy, reducing emissions, conservation of natural habitats and resources to create a sustainable future.

Mental Health Support: Enhancing awareness, access, and insurance coverage for mental illnesses through national programs, besides promoting meditation and emotional wellness.

While this transformation won't be easy, countries like Costa Rica have shown it's possible to raise happiness levels rapidly with concerted policy efforts. The Central American nation jumped from 144th in the World Happiness Report 2019 to the 23rd position in 2023, by strengthening social support systems and investing in renewable energy and environmental preservation.

The Path is Happiness

In summary, measuring happiness is more than just an academic exercise or a New Age indulgence. It's fundamentally about capturing the true essence of what leads to human flourishing and societal progress. And the economic costs of neglecting this pursuit can be catastrophic in the long run.

For India, with its pluralistic ethos and ancient wisdom traditions that have long valued happiness as the ultimate goal, investing in this philosophy is critical. Not only can it put us on a sustainable path to becoming a truly developed nation, it would also make us infinitely richer as a civilization.

As Charlie Chaplin once said - "We think too much and feel too little"