Smile please | Mint

The latest World Happiness Report by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network has much for India to think about. According to its ranking of countries, India is among the least happy—measured by social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption. We are ranked 125th, lagging behind our neighbours Nepal, Bangladesh, China and Sri Lanka. At the bottom is Afghanistan, at No. 137. On top of the list is Finland, crowned the world’s happiest nation for six years in a row, followed by Denmark and Iceland. Israel and the Netherlands are in fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Nordic countries tend to do well by such yardsticks, thanks to the strong social safety net they generally provide. But in India, our policies are focused on expanding the economic pie more than sharing it. That is necessary, no doubt, given the need to uplift our multitudes. Our expansion, however, has been skewed, with only the better-off flourishing even as the rest trail far behind. While happiness may involve more than just economic well-being, enlarging people’s financial means would be a big help. And for that, equitable growth is key.