Shivraj Singh Chouhan creates `ministry of happiness’ in Madhya Pradesh

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government has created another ministerial portfolio – ministry of happiness – a development that would surely help make another member of the legislature happier.

From now on the state's prosperity will be measured in terms of citizens' happiness quotient and not GDP, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday while announcing the creation of the new 'happiness ministry.'

Madhya Pradesh will be the first Indian state to have a `ministry of happiness' to measure people's welfare, on the lines of Bhutan, which measures country's prosperity by gauging happiness of its citizens.

Chouhan said the idea has came from Bhutan's gross national happiness (GNH) index.

As per the GNH index, the four pillars that will lead to a healthy index are good governance, sustainable socio-economic development, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation.

It is calculated based on nine parameters which include psychological wellbeing, health, education, living standards and cultural diversity among others.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the only country to have a minister of happiness in the government.

"We will make a 'happiness ministry' to track our growth," said Shivraj Singh, while addressing a state BJP convention.

"The state will be made responsible for happiness and tolerance of its citizens and will rope in psychologists to counsel people how to be always happy," said the chief minister.

Clubbing happiness to the country's move towards a welfare state under BJP rule, Chouhan showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a ''God's gift'' to the country. "Modi is God's gift to the country,'' Chouhan said.

He said, PM had become the most popular leader in the world and was working to make India a strong and prosperous, hence happiness index plays an important role.

"Modi is a man of ideas and has the will to execute them. Wherever in the world he goes, people chant his name. He is divine gift to India. He will make India 'vishwa guru' by 2022," he said on Thursday.

Earlier, on two other occasions, first in Vrindavan, Chouhan had said "Narendra Modi is a boon from God''.