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MINDSPACE

W O RD FA CT O R Y

“Happiness is when

HAPPINESS what you think,

INDEX what you say, &

what you do are in harmony.”

-Mahatma Ghandhi

Mahatma Gandhi said , Happiness is
when what you think, what you say, and what as to how a country like Norway climbed to the
you do are in harmony. But that spoken, top despite fall in the oil prices, depressing Nordic
India is in complete disharmony and far weather. Norway achieved and maintained its
from its ‘Acche din’ ideal. India has dropped high happiness not because of its oil wealth, but
from 118th to 122nd among 155 countries in spite of it. Reports suggest that by choosing
in the 2017 world happiness index, a list to produce its oil slowly, and investing the
topped by Norway followed by Denmark produce for the future rather than spending in
and Iceland. Nations such as China (79), the present, Norway has insulated itself from the
Pakistan (80), Nepal (99),Bangladesh (110) boom and bust cycle of many other resource-rich
Iraq(117) and Sri Lanka(120) better India Economies.
on the rankings. India ranks 122nd, behind
Pakistan and poorest-of-poor Nepal in the However doing this successfully requires high
global list of the happiest countries. So level of mutual trust, shared purpose, generosity
what is the cause of India’s unhappiness? and good governance. All these factors help in
Everything from poor life expectancy, job keeping Norway and other top countries where
dissatisfaction to lack of social support, income, health and life expectancy. Although they are in happiness index rankings.
trust in Government and business seem to GDP per capita income is one of the metric for
be the reasons. measurement, which has been improving all the
time, it proves again that money does not bring
Norway was ranked as the happiest happiness every time.
country in the world according to world
happiness report, 2017. Norway jumped Experts now agree that other measures such
three sports from previous year displacing as social support, spirit of generosity, freedom of Deepa Yadav
Denmark, which had held the top spot choice all of which go into the happiness index S.Y.B.A.
for three out of the past four years. India matter as well along with other Economic metrics
ranked a near bottom in six factors namely such as GDP and inflation. It is interesting to note

42 | SYNERGY 17-18 | GURU NANAK COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE & COMMERCE GURU NANAK COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE & COMMERCE | SYNERGY 17-18 | 43