How Happy Are You? Andhra Pradesh To Set Up Happiness Index Using Global Benchmarks

With an aim of making the upcoming capital of Amaravati among the top three happiest cities in the world, the Government of Andhra Pradesh will set up a happiness commission and a standardised index to measure happiness along the lines of similar benchmarks across the world, reports Mint. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has said that the capital would be designed with happiness as the top priority of governance.

Last year, the state became the second after Madhya Pradesh to set up a dedicated department to measure happiness. However, Madhya Pradesh’s initiatives have been criticised as a mere publicity stunt.

The happiness commission is expected to launch several initiatives to achieves its rather abstract goals. A framework to measure a city’s happiness is set to be launched at the end of the ongoing Happy Cities Summit in Amaravati.

The framework – on the lines of Bhutan’s Gross National Index, the Bristol’s Thriving Places Index, and the Government of India’s Livability Index – will focus on the freedom of citizens in decision making, safety, clean environment and corruption.

Neighbouring Bhutan made headlines when it adopted a gross national happiness as an indicator of development over gross domestic product (GDP). The United Arab Emirates recently set up a ministry of happiness while the United Kingdom appointed a minister for loneliness, especially in the urban areas.

The World Happiness Index 2018 lists India at the 133rd position while neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh were ranked 75 and 115 respectively. Barring Afghanistan which is still limping back to normalcy after decades of war, all other nations in South Asia have fared better than India in the rankings.