Students at New Delhi's government-run schools started getting lessons in how to be happy on Monday with the launch of a "happiness curriculum" devised by the Dalai Lama.
The new initiative, which focuses on "holistic education," covers one million students from pre-kindergarten to teenagers at 1,000 schools, the German News Agency reported.
Organizers cited the Dalai Lama, who said: "India is the only country that can bring together modern education and ancient Indian knowledge to build a world with happy and kind people."
The Dalai Lama who lives in exile tweeted that with the appropriate education, people can be taught to deal with anger, hatred, anxiety and fear.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said this step will help in transforming the memorization-based Indian education system to make students happy and creative, which will allow them to later confront challenges, such as corruption and terrorism.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the curriculum focuses on daily mindfulness practice or meditation, moral teachings, mental exercises and activities with the aim of teaching students to be good human beings.
Delhi is not the first place in India where the state has become involved in efforts to spread happiness among people.
In 2016, the government of Madhya Pradesh in central India launched the "Happiness Department" to promote happiness in the lives of locals.
