In pursuit of Happiness

Synopsis: The great degree of unhappiness in Indian society has a lot to do with the way the law and its institutions operate.

Introduction

The article talks about Happiness as an important factor to measure the quality of governance. Until the beginning of the publication of the United Nations World Happiness Report in 2012, happiness was not considered an objective of governance. But now, countries are giving it the importance it deserves.

What does the United Nations World Happiness Report signify?

The report shows that countries with a higher GDP and higher per capita income are not necessarily the happiest. This year, the reports also measured the impact of COVID-19 on the people and their evaluation of the performance of governance systems. It was found that Covid has impacted happiness, as sharing and community life was hugely affected during this period.

India and Happiness: India has been ranked 139 out of 149 countries in the World Happiness Report 2021. Happiness, in India, has never been considered as an explicit goal of public policy. The main reason behind unhappiness in Indian society is the way the law and its institutions operate. People remain unhappy as their legitimate grievances remain unaddressed by the legal system.

Law: According to the World Justice Report, 40% of people live outside the protection of the law in the world. More than 5 billion people fall into this ‘justice gap’. India’s rule of law rank was 69 as per the World Justice report 2021. The pendency of 3.5 crore cases justifies this ranking. It has a chilling effect on the right to life, liberty, economic justice, dignity and national integration.

Crime Rate:  Data highlights crime as a major source of unhappiness. It shows that happy countries have lower crime rates. It means that individuals living in nations with high crime rates are less happy and satisfied than individuals living in nations with comparatively lower crime rates.

Socio-Demographic Factors: Happiness is also determined by various socio-demographic factors like health, education, crime rate, criminal victimization and fear of crime.

What measures have been adopted by countries to address the happiness gap?

United Arab Emirates: It was the first country in the world to have set up a Ministry of Happiness. The Ministry monitors the impact of policies through a happiness meter and takes measures to ensure a better life.

Bhutan: It introduced Gross National Happiness as a measure of good governance.

What should India do?

Honest and effective governance can create more socio-economic equality. This would create a greater sense of happiness amongst the population. India should work on these parameters.

Source: This post is based on the article “In pursuit of Happiness” published in The Hindu on 29^th September 2021.