It is now a matter of general belief around the world that elections in India resemble its great festivals. The latest world happiness index, a survey that is gaining increasing media play, ranks India a lowly 140 out of the 156 nations surveyed—seven spots down from 2018. Worryingly, the report says, “When you factor in population growth, world happiness has fallen in recent years, driven by the sustained downward trend in India." It is fair to ask, in the middle of an ill-tempered general election in India, whether there’s a relationship between happiness and voting. The more we consume, the higher the GDP numbers; and the higher the GDP numbers, the more we consume.

Source: Mint May 16, 2019 18:45 UTC