The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh will soon have a ministry for happiness, becoming the first state in the country to do so.

Contending that worldly possessions and development through statistics is not the only measure of happiness, the chief minister said the ministry will work towards keeping people genuinely happy.

The Chief Minister made the announcement saying the idea came from Bhutan’s gross national happiness (GNH) index.

According to the concept of GNH, there are four pillars that will lead to a healthy index – 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.

Original story here.