Taking inspiration from Bhutan, which has a Happiness Index to keep its citizens happy, Madhya Pradesh has announced the creation of a Happiness Department

Bhopal: Taking inspiration from Bhutan, which focused on a "Happiness Index" to keep its citizens happy, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the creation of a "Department of Happiness" along similar lines in the state to infuse positivity in the lives of people.

"Happiness will not come into the lives of people merely with materialistic possessions or development, but by infusing positivity into their lives so that they don't take extreme steps in distress like suicides," Chouhan said at the state BJP's executive meeting on Thursday.

"Madhya Pradesh will be the first state in the country to create a Department of Happiness and I got this inspiration from Bhutan, which gave the world the concept of a Happiness Index way back in the 1970s," the chief minister said.

The purpose behind setting up this department is to ensure happiness in the lives of people and to stop them from taking extreme steps when they are in distress, he said. It will organise yoga, meditation, cultural programmes, etc to keep people happy, he added.

He said that the proposal to constitute the department will be passed in the next Cabinet meeting. Chouhan said that the proposed department will take all possible measures to ensure that people remain happy in their lives as worldly possessions and development based on "statistical figures is not the only measure of happiness".