Why India is terribly low on happiness index despite being the fastest growing economy

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Mahatma Gandhi saw this coming from a mile. Seems, India is going wrong somewhere, which is why its place has dropped in the Happiness index since 2013.


Did you know India ranks lower than even Iraq and Pakistan on the World Happiness Index?

India ranks140th in the happiness quotient as per the latest report released in March this year. As a country, we are perennially on decline having dropped 7 notches from 133 in 2018 out of 156 countries surveyed. We stood at 122 in 2017, and with the latest drop our nation stands below Pakistan (67) China (93) and other immediate neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal. Looks like the entire nation, entrepreneurs and innovators have to buckle up their shoes to make the country prosperous and a happy place to live in.



So, exactly why is India unhappy, despite the highest economic growth rate?



A happiness index is not just statistics. It offers an insight into what’s on the minds of the people today and reflects the state of affairs in the country. While India is one of the fastest growing economies with visible evolution on the technical and scientific fronts, this well-being is not translated into an improvement in overall happiness.


According to my personal observation, within the recent times, a significant increase in the diseases, superstitions, blind faith, including those vested in religious gurus, can be some of the reasons for this downward drift. As demonstrated by other happy countries, happiness is a result of creating social foundations for healthy living.



For decades as an expert neurologist, I had the chance to interact with countless individuals while examining their brains and minds. On the premise of my study, an in-depth analysis into ‘The Decade of the Brain’ inter-agency initiative and the MacLean brain model in ‘Triune Brain Evolution’, I can state with conviction explaining the present Indian scenario of the inverse relationship between growth and happiness or health.


In his book the ‘Triune Brain Evolution’, Maclean has delineated how a brain is composed of three neural substrates that represent the human evolution. According to him, the brain is categorised into the reptilian, the oldest, the emotional, the middle, and the cognitively advanced neo-mammalian or the new brain. While each one of them is interconnected, yet each has an independent bio-computerised, unique genetic programming. 

 The human behaviour relies on 3 different components of the larger human brain. Here are some interesting facts about the human brain, which might help us in decoding the current scenario:
  • The oldest reptilian brain is a housekeeping brain with animal instincts of fighting, fleeing and understanding the basic characters of reproduction and rituals.
  • The second level evolutionary brain known as the limbic system is responsible for different emotions like greed, selfishness, jealousy, social attachments, love, hate, fear and other emotional manifestations essential for the preservation of family and society.
  • An individual whose brain controls the emotions are more likely to be addicted to seeking material pleasures, obsession for moneymaking and all kinds of socially unacceptable behaviours.
  • The newest or the neocortical brain is in the front of your head and has the potential to acquire a self-intellectual, spiritual thought, store, receive information for decision-making and remembering. Higher the evolution within the neocortical brain, greater the chances of becoming compassionate, altruistic, and spiritual.

The greatest gift by Almighty to humans is an electro-chemical, neuro-circuitry brain which has the potential of influencing each other.


The way I see it, the complex mind of humans today can be the reason for the declining Happiness Index of India. To tune into and resonate with the rhythms of the brain systems we need to accept and start understanding the surrounding situations happily along with properly orchestrated day-to-day schedule in order to achieve the desired realms of health and happiness!

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