Country's first regional happiness index for Madhya Pradesh by FY20?

Indore: If everything goes as per plan, Madhya Pradesh might become the first state in the country to have a happiness index (HI) in place by the end of the financial year 2019-20, a top official has said.

Madhya Pradesh Institute of Happiness CEO Akhilesh Argal said they are giving the final touches to the questionnaire for an upcoming government survey to measure the HI. "We are giving final touches to the questionnaire for the survey which will be launched in November this year. It is our aim that the survey is completed by the end of this financial year and the maiden happiness index announced," said Argal. He said the state government has made Kharagpur-based IIT's Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness as its "knowledge partner" for this unique project.

"To prepare the survey, about 15,000 people from various villages, towns and cities in Madhya Pradesh would be contacted and their views on wide range of topics like lifestyle, income, education, health, safety, achievements, interests, positive and negative feelings, inter-personal relationships, attachment to environment etc. would be taken," informed the CEO.