All Izz Well: Lucknow University’s New Course Teaches Students To Seek ‘Real Happiness’

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands 
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands 
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

No, we aren’t the ones singing this song, students of Lucknow University would probably be singing this song out loud. Why? Because Lucknow University’s education department plans to introduce ‘Education for Happiness’ course for postgraduate students. The course that has already been approved by the Board of Studies and Faculty Board of the varsity now awaits a green flag from the Academic Council. 

 

The happiness course is expected to commence from the next session beginning this July. Prof Amita Bajpai of the LU education department has shared that the course (for now) will be available in the form of an optional paper in the Master of Education (MEd) course. Depending on how successful this one becomes, a separate course may be started soon with similar curriculum. 

What Does ‘Education For Happiness’ Course Entail?

This course can be opted by Master of Arts (MA) students and will have two credits. It is expected to teach students about the different Western as well as Indian concepts of happiness. These will include the ones based on Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita. There will be theoretical as well as practical parts to the course and the University will also bring apt speakers to impart knowledge about the relevance of happiness.

According to the education department of LU, the need for this has arisen because children are most affected by stress and are, therefore, looking for happiness in the virtual world.

Remember Arvind Kejriwal had started ‘happiness classes’ for students going to govt schools in Delhi? Well, the ‘Education For Happiness’ course is different. While in school, kids between the age group of 5 to 15 are put in situations of happiness, the course at LU is different. One of the primary aims of this course is to enable the enrolled students to be able to later teach their own students (when they start teaching in school) the idea of real happiness.

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While the university aims at teaching students how they can seek ‘real happiness’, but strangely so, nobody from the University faculty so far has defined what ‘real’ happiness means. Quite a subjective concept indeed, it will be interesting to see how does the course eventually leads to increased life satisfaction. At a time when nothing comes with a 100% guarantee, this LU faculty is making some far-fetched promises. However, we will be more than happy if they are able to achieve what they’ve envisioned.

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