What does true happiness really mean? Students in Madhya Pradesh will soon embark on a journey to discover this as the state government introduces the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ for classes 9 to 12 in the upcoming academic session. The initiative, launched by the Rajya Anand Sansthan (Happiness Department), aims to foster emotional well-being, ethical thinking, and a more balanced, holistic approach to life.
The state’s Happiness Department chief, Satya Prakash Arya, shared with media that the project was first piloted over the past two years in 450 schools and will now be expanded to reach around 9,000 schools in the state. The curriculum, Arya said, is designed to go beyond just academic learning, focusing on students’ emotional and mental growth.
Curriculum for True Happiness
The Happiness Curriculum is structured around various aspects of life, teaching students that happiness is not just about material success. It aims to develop self-awareness and understanding of one’s emotions and actions while promoting harmony with oneself, family, society, and nature. The program employs activity-based learning to engage students in meaningful discussions, reflection, and introspection.
For Class 9, the curriculum consists of 11 chapters. It starts by exploring the idea of happiness as a holistic experience. The lessons will use storytelling, group discussions, and reflection exercises to help students understand that true happiness transcends material wealth and is linked to ethical thinking and self-awareness. The students will be encouraged to observe their own thoughts, feelings, and actions in order to gain clarity and align their behavior with their values.
In Class 10, the focus continues on self-awareness, with another set of 11 chapters designed to deepen students’ understanding of themselves. It challenges the misconception that humans are purely physical beings and emphasises that happiness comes from fulfilling both physical and emotional needs. Students will learn how true harmony requires balance within themselves.
For Class 11, the curriculum adds the dimension of family relationships, with a focus on values such as love, care, and gratitude. The 11 chapters also critique common misconceptions about happiness, such as the belief that it comes from material wealth or seeking approval from others.
The Class 12 curriculum, which consists of 16 chapters, takes a broader view, introducing nature as a collection of interconnected and complementary units, including material, plant, animal, and human. The chapters teach students that existence is interconnected, emphasising the importance of understanding how all living things are immersed in a shared, harmonious space.
Unique Approach to Learning
This curriculum will be mandatory for all streams in Classes 9 to 12, but there will be no formal examinations. Instead, the focus will be on process-oriented learning, where students engage in activities like mindfulness exercises, reflective storytelling, and group discussions.
Arya emphasised that the course aims to help students understand that happiness is not just about achieving academic or professional milestones. “All paths—whether academic, personal, or professional—lead to happiness,” Arya explained. The course will address four key dimensions: self, family, society, and nature, guiding students to explore their inner selves and understand that they are more than just physical beings.
“Through this curriculum, we teach gratitude, health, and self-realisation. We help students see that happiness comes from within, not from external achievements alone,” Arya added.
Early Successes and Future Goals
The pilot phase of the Happiness Curriculum, which ran in select schools, has already shown promising results. Arya noted that there have been noticeable behavioral changes among students. “Discipline, participation, and overall focus have improved,” he shared. “Attendance has gone up, and students have started enjoying the course. Parents have told us that their children are helping out at home more, and sibling rivalry has reduced. These early signs are very encouraging.”
However, integrating this new subject into an already packed school syllabus wasn’t without challenges. Arya admitted that getting teachers on board and preparing them to deliver the curriculum was difficult, especially since their primary focus had been finishing academic syllabi and preparing students for exams. “Coordinating with teachers and training them was a challenge, but we utilised summer vacations for this purpose, and once they understood the course, their teaching effectiveness improved,” he said.
Preparing for Expansion
The Madhya Pradesh government is keen on scaling the program to reach more students. To ensure that the curriculum is effectively delivered, the state is making significant investments in teacher training. In May 2025, 14 workshops will be held to train 3,000 teachers, with the goal of preparing 4,000 educators to lead Anand Classes (happiness periods) in government schools.
The introduction of the Happiness Curriculum marks a new step in integrating emotional and ethical learning into the educational system. As the state moves forward with this initiative, it hopes to shape a generation that values inner well-being, harmony, and happiness over external achievements alone.
