New Delhi: Ludhiana, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh are the happiest cities in the country according to a happiness survey conducted across India.
Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, ranks the lowest on the list.
The latest India Happiness Report 2020 is based on a study conducted by Dr Rajesh Pillania, Professor of Strategy at Gurugram’s Management Development Institute, and his team in March-July 2020. A total of 16,950 responses were collected from all over India — more than 400 responses from each state and union territory.
Pillania had previously come out with a state-wise happiness report, which found Mizoram, Punjab and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to be the happiest states and UTs in the country. Released in September 2020, researchers for this report had surveyed nearly 17,000 people.
Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Uttarakhand ranked at the bottom of that report.
This time, the survey was conducted across 34 major cities. The Tier II cities included Faridabad, Indore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu and Noida, with Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Surat emerging happiest in the rankings.
Among the Tier I cities, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad were surveyed. Ahmedabad, Chennai and Hyderabad bagged the top three ranks.
Overall, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh emerged happiest cities, while Gurugram, Visakhapatnam and Raipur found themselves on the bottom of the ladder.
The survey also studied the impact of Covid-19 on the level of happiness, and found that the happiness points of Surat, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana were least affected by the pandemic. Bengaluru, Kochi and Kolkata displayed the worst possible impact of Covid-19 on happiness, the report said.
The objective of the report, according to the researchers, was “to create more interest in the topic of happiness, create more awareness, and more discussion”. “The long term objective is that these reports can provide inputs into policy-making and strategies for organisations and governments for creating a happier India, aspiring for the better well-being of its citizens,” it said.
Also read: Mizoram, Sikkim & Arunachal Pradesh among India’s top 10 ‘happy’ states, finds survey
Work, relationship, health: Factors for a ‘happy life’
The study used five key parameters as factors for a “happy life” — work, relationship, physical and mental health, philanthropy, religion/spirituality.
A nine-point questionnaire was prepared by the team of researchers. The first two questions were in the Cantril ladder format, where the participant is asked to imagine a ladder where the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for the participant, and the bottom the worst.
The other five questions were based on the five key parameters of the study.
The study found a negative correlation between marriage and happiness, the report said.
“The results show the correlation between gender and happiness is not significant. There is a negative correlation between marital status and happiness, i.e. married people are unhappier than married people in cities. Age, income and education, are overall positively related to happiness.”
(Edited by Sanghamitra Mazumdar)
This report has been updated to accurately reflect that Prof Pillania is Professor of Strategy at MDI, Gurugram, and not at Panjab University, Chandigarh. The error is regretted.
Also read: Happiness is serious business. Just look at the World Happiness Report
I feel print itself should get the questionnaire printed and carry out survey online… The study needs wide publicity and more cities needs to be covered.
A survey with 400 responded for pan India rating of cities is too low for any credible result . I am disappointed with The Print for bothering to publish such dubious survey
The study was conducted by a professor of Punjab university. So he has assigned best ratings to the cites of Punjab and downgraded others.