IIT to aid increase happiness index of Kolkata

“We will work with the NKDA for the project aimed at giving a holistic happy environment to the people living in the area. IIT-KGP will offer expertise in this regard. The institute will help set up a road map for the civic authorities,” IIT, KGP Director Prof Partha Pratim Chakrabarti said at a workshop. 

Professor and Head, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT KGP, Priyadarshi Patnaik, said, “We are aiming to increase the happiness index of the people living in the township by involving everyone in the effort. IIT, KGP is already working on the project.” 

Citing an example of how the Happiness and Well Being project will work, he said, “Say there is an old age home and a children’s home in the same locality. So ideally the inmates of the old age home will guide the children in their education and mentor them, while the children will extend a helping hand to their ‘grand parents’ in their daily lives and during ailments. 

Thus, they will complement each other.” Additional Chief Secretary and Chairman of NKDA, Debashis Sen, said that the organisation had entered into an arrangement with the IIT-KGP’s Rekhi Centre in this regard. 

From breathing pollution-free air to commuting on congestion-free roads the horizon of happiness could be pushed further, Sen emphasised, saying since the IIT, KGP was already running the Rekhi Centre for Science of Happiness aimed at students, their professionals could offer the expertise to implement the project.