Research in India
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One of the foundation’s main focus areas of work is happiness research in India. Some of the research work is shared below namely India Happiness Report 2020, India Cities Happiness Report 2020 and media articles. These reports have inputs and endorsements from many global happiness experts.
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We would love to help you with happiness research in your organisation. Kindly write to us at research@happinessstrategyfoundation.org
INDIA HAPPINESS REPORT 2020
The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania. He is recognised for his extensive research, jointly ranked number one in average research productivity among management faculty (including IIMs & IITs) in India between 1968 to 2014.
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In the happiness rankings of states and union territories, Mizoram, Punjab, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the top three. Among the big states, Punjab, Gujarat, and Telangana are among the top three states whereas, among smaller states, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are the top three states in happiness rankings. Among union territories, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep are the top three union territories in happiness rankings. The results show marital status, age group, education, and income level are overall positively related to happiness and married people are happier than unmarried people.
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The spirit of India is quite resilient and the impact of COVID-19 varies across states and union territories. It varies from the worst possible to the best possible among individuals in the study.
Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness, whereas Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are neutral and Manipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep have shown the best possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.
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The spirit of India is quite resilient and the impact of COVID-19 varies across states and union territories. It varies from the worst possible to the best possible among individuals in the study. Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness, whereas Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are neutral and Manipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep have shown the best possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.
The report contains insights from various thought leaders on happiness.
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Historian and biographer, Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, emphasises that Mahatma Gandhi believed that the approbation of one’s conscience for one’s actions is the true source of happiness.
Professor Sir Cary Cooper, a leading global scholar in occupational health and wellness research, highlights that the mental well-being and happiness of employees and citizens is the true measure of success.
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Dr. Ashley Whillans, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School, and a leading scholar in the time, money, and happiness research field, emphasises that people who value time over money report greater well-being.
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Dr. Emma Seppälä, Science Director, Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and Co-Director Wellness, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, shares her conclusion that kind and compassionate people are the happiest and most fulfilled in a sustained manner throughout their lives.
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Jennifer Moss, CBC Columnist, and UN Happiness Council Member, stresses that appreciating the opposites may be the key to sustaining a healthy mind-set, and happiness.
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Dr. Dasho Karma Ura, Head, Centre for Bhutan and Gross National Happiness (GNH) Studies, highlights that GNH studies show that both material and nonmaterial conditions contribute to happiness.
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Devdutt Pattanaik, a popular writer, writes that happiness requires all three goddesses: L (Lakshmi) i.e. the goddess of wealth, Saraswati (S) i.e. the goddess of knowledge and Durga (D) i.e. the goddess of power.
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Dr. Rajendra Singh, popularly known as ‘Jal Purush, Waterman of India’, insists that lasting happiness comes by giving equal respect to humanity and nature.
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People are optimistic about the future and generally scored more on happiness after five years compared to scores today. In the future happiness rankings after five years, Manipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Gujarat are the top three.
Dr. T.V. Rao, Chairman TVRLS and often referred to as the ‘One of the Fathers of Human Resource Development (HRD)’ in India, stresses that it is time to review all HRD policies in the corporate sector, government, and all sections of society, and redesign them to create happiness at work.
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The three key takeaways for governments, organisations, and individuals are, first, different states and union territories are at different levels of happiness rankings. There is a pressing need for more discussions, focus, and the application of happiness in the Indian context. Second, knowing is not enough, happiness needs to be practised. Third, choose and put into practice all or some or at least one of the insights from this report.
INDIA CITIES HAPPINESS REPORT 2020
First India Cities Happiness Report is covering thirty-four major cities measuring happiness across the country, the contributing factors to people’s happiness, the impact of COVID-19 on happiness, and insights from global thought leaders.
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The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 13,000 people during October- November 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania. He is recognised for his extensive research, jointly ranked number one in average research productivity among management faculty (including IIMs & IITs) in India between 1968 to 2014.
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John F. Helliwell, Co-Editor (with Jeffry Sachs and Richard Layard) of the World Happiness Report, Professor Emeritus, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia shares that Rajesh Pillania and his team did a signal service in extending the scope of world happiness research by providing data for 36 Indian states in India Happiness Report 2020. The India Cities Happiness Report 2020 further deepens understanding by monitoring the quality of life in more than 30 major cities.
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In the happiness rankings of cities, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh are the top three. Among the Tier-I cities, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and New Delhi are among the top three, whereas, among Tier-II cities, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Surat are the top three cities in happiness rankings.
The results show age group, education, and income level are overall positively related to happiness, and marital status is negatively related to happiness i.e. unmarried people are happier than married people in big cities.
Jaime Lerner, World-renowned Architect & Urban Planner, Former President of the International Union of Architects and, Chairman, Jaime Lerner Arquitetos Associados, and Among 25 Most Influential Thinkers in the World (Time magazine, 2010), stresses on Remembering Togetherness for happiness in cities and emphasises that quality public spaces are the glue that can hold together sharing, trust, connectedness, a sense of civic duty, responsibility and pride because public spaces are the theatres where urban life happens.
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The spirit of India is quite resilient, and the impact of COVID-19 varies across cities. It varies from the worst possible to the best possible among individuals in the study. Bengaluru, Kochi and Kolkata have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.
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Francesc Miralles, Co-author of the Bestselling book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, pinpoints we often believe that happiness is the absence of problems, and that’s a big mistake.
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The report contains insights from various thought leaders on happiness including Ruut Veenhoven, Pioneer and World Authority on the Scientific Study of Happiness, Emeritus Professor of Social Conditions for Human Happiness, Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands (EHERO), and, Director, World Database of Happiness; John F. Helliwell, Co-Editor (with Jeffry Sachs and Richard Layard) of the World Happiness Report, Professor Emeritus, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, and Distinguished Fellow, Canadian Institute of Advanced Research; Jaime Lerner, World-renowned Architect and Urban Planner, Former President of the International Union of Architects, Chairman, Jaime Lerner Arquitetos Associados and, Among 25 most Influential Tthinkers in the World (Time magazine, 2010); Carlo Ratti, Director, MIT Senseable City Lab, Founding Partner, Carlo Ratti Associati and, Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization; Richard Florida, one of the World’s Leading Urbanists, University Professor at University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management, A Distinguished Fellow at NYU’s Schack School of Real Estate, and, Founder of the Creative Class Group; Padma Bhushan M. B. Athreya, Recognised as one of the Founders and Pioneers of the Indian Management Movement, and Ex-Professor London Business School, and Ex-Professor IIM- Calcutta; and, Francesc Miralles, Co-author of Bestselling book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.
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People are optimistic about the future and generally scored more on happiness after five years compared to scores today. In the future happiness rankings after five years, Ludhiana, Jammu and Amritsar are the top three.
Carlo Ratti, Director, MIT Senseable City Lab and Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization, highlights that the key issue cities are facing is the relationship between the natural and the artificial worlds resulting in more happiness; and, don’t focus just on new technologies but use them to build cities for lovers and friends.
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The three key takeaways for governments, organisations, and individuals are; first, different cities are at different levels of happiness rankings. There is a pressing need for more discussion, focus, and the application of happiness in the Indian context. Second, knowing is not enough; happiness needs to be practised. Third, choose and put into practice all or some or at least one of the insights from this report.
Media Articles
