Odisha University to start India's first government-run diploma in Happiness next year

After years of planning stalled by various hurdles, the much-awaited Diploma in Happiness will be introduced from the ensuing academic session at Gangadhar Meher University.

The six-month program has been specifically designed to help students cope with stress, form emotional balance, and build up self-confidence in view of growing crises in mental health and increasing rates of stress among Odisha's youth.

The course would touch upon different dimensions of happiness and their applications related to aspects of emotional intelligence, stress management, mindfulness, and decision-making, said Deputy Registrar Uma Charan Pati.

"The present education system should not be confined to academics only; it needs to promote moral, intellectual, and personality development as well. The six-month course will aim mainly at helping students achieve mental stability, cope with stress effectively, and strengthen their decision-making abilities," he said.

Pati said that the unbridled use of social media, fast-changing life, and academic pressures seriously affect the mental health of the youth. The diploma course will offset these with interactive lessons, group activities, and participatory workshops to breed optimism and self-reflection.

“A meeting regarding the syllabus of the course was held on Monday. Once the course is launched, the university may extend its duration and upgrade it into a full-fledged degree programme in future depending on the feedback and overall response,” added Pati.

The proposed program focuses on students at GMU and external participants who seek to attain better mental well-being. It would be team-taught by an interdisciplinary team from the departments of psychology, philosophy, and sociology.

This would make GMU the first state-run institution in Odisha to offer such a course. The university also proposes to initiate a Gender Studies program with certificate and diploma streams, which would take up issues of gender equality, gender stereotyping, and empowerment from both male and female standpoints.

University insiders said space shortages were the main hindrance, but this obstacle has since been removed with the complete operationalization of the Basantpur campus.