“World is a wonderful place; if you do good, good things will happen”: Prof. Yogesh Singh
More than 2,000 students have enrolled in the “Science of Happiness” course, which was launched at University of Delhi two years ago. This Value-Added Course (VAC) has been adopted by 17 DU colleges and one department. A meeting of these institutions was held on Wednesday, chaired by DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh, where principals and concerned officials shared their experiences regarding the course. Expressing happiness over the course’s success, the Vice-Chancellor remarked that being happy is life’s greatest achievement; this is only possible when we think well of others and do good deeds. He stated, “World is a wonderful place; if you do good, good things will happen.’
After receiving feedback from the principals, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh noted that the course is yielding positive results. While such courses were previously unheard of, modern society has various challenges, making it necessary to shift mindsets—a context in which the utility of such courses increases significantly. Identifying Drugs as a major challenge, the Vice-Chancellor said that it destroys the happiness of entire families. He recalled that the ‘Drug-Free Campus’ campaign at DU was launched by Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan emphasized the need to carry this initiative forward seriously, suggesting that the Patel Chest Institute could also assist in this effort.
During the meeting, principals from various colleges shared their experiences. Principles of Miranda House and Daulat Ram College mentioned that ‘Mind Labs’ had been established in their colleges, aiding in both study and research; several other colleges are also planning to set up similar labs. On this occasion Prof. Rajni Abbi (Director, South Campus), Dr. Vikas Gupta (Registrar), Prof. K. Ratnabali (Dean, Academic Affairs), Principals and representatives from all associated colleges, were present. Staff members from the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness, including Dr. Satinder Singh Rekhi, also attended the event.
It is noteworthy that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in March 2024 between the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness and the University of Delhi (along with its colleges) to establish the “Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness.” Subsequently, the course was introduced as a Value-Added Course (VAC). Prof. K. Ratnabali, Dean of Academic Affairs at DU, explained that the course is designed to span a single semester and is offered across the first, second, third, and fourth semesters. The course is also being offered by the university’s Department of Psychology. Prof. Ratnabali said that while the course is currently available at the undergraduate (UG) level, consideration is being given to including it in the pool of skill-based courses at the postgraduate (PG) level in the future.
Colleges that have adopted the “Science of Happiness”
Prof. K. Ratnabali told that the “Science of Happiness” course has been introduced by the Department of Psychology at the University of Delhi, as well as by the following colleges: Indraprastha College for Women, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Daulat Ram College, Gargi College, Miranda House, Kamala Nehru College, Hindu College, Hansraj College, Janki Devi Memorial College, Jesus and Mary College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, SGTB Khalsa College, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Mata Sundri College for Women, Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, and Kirori Mal College.
