Madhya Pradesh to have separate Happiness Department
Bhopal. A meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan here today sanctioned creation of Happiness Department. The Department will function as a knowledge resource centre on the subject of happiness. Simultaneously with Happiness Department, State Happiness Institute will also be created. This is one of its own kind initiative in the country. Before this decision, the state government had undertaken in-depth study of measures taken to assess status of happiness among citizens by United Nations as well as government of Bhutan and America’s International Management Institute.
The new Happiness Department will map and define parameters of happiness and efficiency. It would chalk out directives/guidelines for coordination between departments in the direction of disseminating happiness in the state. The department will also work towards implementation of concept of happiness, policy making and bringing implementation process in mainstream. It would also prescribe action plan and activities for experiencing happiness. The department will also assess mindset of state’s people from time to time. It would compile and publish survey reports pertaining to status of happiness. It would undertake constant researches regarding means of expansion happiness and improve norms to assess them.
Set-up of the department includes one President, one Chief Officer, one each Director-Research, Director-Coordination and Accounts Officer, 4 posts of Research Assistant, 6 Junior Assistant and 5 posts of peon. Its total expenditure is estimated to be Rs. 3 crore 60 lakh 80 thousand.
The cabinet also sanctioned to give Simhastha Jyoti Medal (Disk) to officers and employees deployed for security arrangements during Ujjain Simhastha Mahakumbh-2016.
