India
ranked as 133 out of 156 countries in the UN 2018 World Happiness Report
Dr KK Aggarwal & Advocate Ira Gupta
2018 was not a bad year in general for India. GDP
growth has been relatively good, the Modi government has launched several new
initiatives and India’s status and world image has strengthened. The problem is
that these are all top-line measures and do not get down to how the people are
actually feeling.
Unfortunately, recent research on this indicates
that Indians are not feeling very happy. India ranked as 133 out of 156
countries on the UN 2018 World Happiness Report (Happiness Report). This was 11
spots lower than India’s 2017 ranking. India’s dismal 2018 ranking placed it
far below most developing nations around the world and near the very bottom for
the South Asian countries surveyed.
A well-being study released by social science
researchers at the end of 2018 revealed that life satisfaction in India dropped
by 10 percent from 2006-17. What accounts for India’s poor performance on these
assessments?
There is no simple explanation. It is instructive,
however, to consider the factors that have the greatest impact on achieving
good scores on them.
As noted in the Executive Summary of the Happiness
Report, “All the top countries tend to have high values for all six of the key
variables that have been found to support well-being: income, healthy life
expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity.”
The well-being study disclosed that “The life
satisfaction of individuals worldwide correlates with income, health,
employment, education as well as with positive moods, freedom and beliefs about
the benefits of work.”
India obviously does not score well on most of
those factors. There are various studies that have highlighted major
deficiencies in areas such as income, health, education and employment. There
is not a systematic method in place, however, to assess the well-being of
India’s citizenry on an ongoing basis.
India, as do most other countries, puts
considerable emphasis on measuring GDP growth and tracking other economic
indicators routinely and regularly. The assumption is that moving the needle
positively on those metrics will cause benefits to flow through to citizens.
That is not the case. As Nobel Prize winning
economist Joseph Stiglitz explains, “No single measure can capture what is
going on in a modern society, but the GDP measure fails in critical ways we
need measures on how the typical individual is doing (measures of median income
do a lot better than measures of average income.)”
There are two old proverbs. One states: “What is
measured matters.” The other says: “What gets measured gets managed.”
By putting a well-being measurement system in
place, India would demonstrate that the happiness of its citizens matter and
provide the platform for developing and implementing policies for enhancing
their life satisfaction.
A Well-Being Index is therefore desirable and it could
be the definitive source for information on the well-being of people.
Social scientists, economists and statisticians can
decide what goes into the Index and its metrics. The important thing is that
the Index be developed and put into place as quickly as possible. The reason
for this is that the available data and evidence shows that India is moving
backward rather than forward in terms of enhancing the happiness and life
satisfaction of its people.
The Index results and findings should be released at
the same time as GDP reports, so that all concerned individuals and
organizations can determine whether the economic growth and progress of the
country as a whole is translating into well-being for its citizens. With this
information in hand, decision makers can take the actions necessary to ensure
that when India does well, all Indians do well.
Mahatma Gandhi famously said: “Happiness is
when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Gandhi
was correct.
Research shows that though extrinsic factors such
as income inequality and an inadequate education can reduce an individual’s
potential for achieving happiness. Improving the conditions and the setting for
well-being by addressing those factors will enhance a person’s ability to exercise
choice and free-will in order to be happy.
Mahatma Gandhi also famously said: “Be the
change you want to see in the world.”
A Well-Being Index would be a starting point for
focusing attention on a happier India and bringing Indians together to work in
unison on being the change that will be necessary to achieve that end.
How to be happy
·
Formula for happiness: 50% of our happiness is
based on our past experiences; 10% of happiness is not in our hands as it is
determined by the circumstances under which we live. 40% of our
happiness is dependent on our choices or decisions to do new things or our
attitude. This is what we can control.
·
The very fact we are born means that in our last
life, we did not attain moksha (liberation). It also means that some sufferings
in our last birth still remained to be borne. Therefore, the purpose of this
birth is to face those sufferings (for those who believe in rebirth, those who
do not treat them as sufferings of the past in this birth). So, when the
purpose of our life is to complete those sufferings, then why suffer from them?
This should be considered as ‘sukh’ and not ‘dukh’. As per Vedic literature,
every adversity is an opportunity to learn or to do something
different. Next time you have a problem, think differently and learn to
enjoy them.
·
Learn to de-stress, at least, once a week by free expressive writing;
writing can boost immune function as well as mood and well–being. It also gives
more clarity. Whereas the stress of holding in strong feelings can increase
blood pressure and heart rate and increase muscle tension.
·
File your Vedic returns every day at night. They are to be filed with our consciousness and
therefore include the sum total and a complete account of negative and positive
deeds. The returns filed will include misunderstandings, hurt, anger,
resentment, guilt, fears, rejections, failures, unforgiven, envy, misbehavior,
mistakes and all negative feelings vs compassion, love, caring, empathy,
happiness etc.
·
Do physical exercise. Walking is the best form of exercise. Walking in natural
environments such as parks also reduces mental stress and fatigue and improves
mood via release of ‘feel good’ endorphins. The proximity to nature also helps
in the inward spiritual journey and shifts one from the sympathetic to
parasympathetic mode manifested by lowering of blood pressure and pulse rate.
·
Learn relaxation techniques such as pranayama and meditation.
·
Practice aparigraha (non-possession or non-attachment), which means one
should not keep anything more than what is necessary. Learn to be content with
what you have. Needs often become synonymous with desires. Aparigraha helps us
to separate the two.
·
Live every moment of your life. Be in the present
(Source: Latestlaws.com)
Dr KK
Aggarwal
Padma
Shri Awardee
President
Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)
Group
Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President
Heart Care Foundation of India
Past
National President IMA
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