SSC Selection Post 2025 PYQ — Question 13

Correct Answer

Measuring happiness and wellbeing

Explanation

The primary focus of the Happiness Index (widely published as the World Happiness Report) is to measure and quantify the levels of subjective happiness and overall life evaluation of citizens across different countries. Published annually by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), it serves as a critical socioeconomic indicator designed to help governments prioritize holistic human well-being over traditional economic metrics.

The index ranks nations based on individuals' self-assessments of their own lives, typically gathered through responses to the Gallup World Poll. While tracking economic data like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is a component used to explain the variation, the core goal is to determine how secure, content, and healthy citizens feel. It evaluates holistic national progress through six key structural variables: GDP per capita, social support systems, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity within the community, and perception of corruption.

The other options represent narrow, bureaucratic data sets. Tracking population growth belongs to demographic censuses, calculating government income falls under fiscal budgetary auditing, and checking school performance is limited to educational assessments. None of these address the multi-dimensional aspect of human well-being measured by the Happiness Index.

Key Points

The evaluation methodology relies heavily on the Cantril Ladder question, where respondents rate their current life satisfaction on a subjective scale from 0 to 10.

Nordic countries, particularly Finland, have consistently secured the top position in the global rankings due to their robust social safety nets, high levels of mutual trust, and low corruption.

The concept shifts the focus of public policy from purely material wealth creation to sustainable psychological, social, and physical well-being.

Important Questions and Answers

Question: Which specialized global body under the United Nations framework is responsible for compiling and releasing the World Happiness Report each year?

Answer: The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) compiles and releases the report.

Question: Which small Himalayan nation historically pioneered the concept of prioritizing Gross National Happiness (GNH) over Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since the 1970s?

Answer: Bhutan pioneered the concept of Gross National Happiness.