Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) will introduce its long-awaited Diploma in Happiness starting the next academic session, following years of planning stalled by various hurdles.
The six-month program is crafted to equip students with skills to cope with stress, sustain emotional equilibrium, and foster self-assurance, responding to escalating mental health crises, and stress among Odisha’s youth.
Deputy Registrar Uma Charan Pati explained that the course will explore multiple facets of happiness and their practical application for a fulfilling life, emphasising emotional intelligence, stress management, mindfulness, and decision-making.
“The current education system should not be confined to academics alone; it must promote moral, intellectual and personality development as well. The six-month course will primarily aim to help students achieve mental stability, handle stress effectively and strengthen their decision-making abilities,” he said.
Pati highlighted how rampant social media usage, rapid lifestyle shifts, and academic demands are eroding youth mental health. The diploma will counter these through guided lessons, group exercises, and interactive workshops promoting optimism and introspection.
“A meeting regarding the syllabus of the course was held on Monday. Once the course is launched, the university may consider to extend its duration and upgrade it into a full-fledged degree programme in the future, based on the feedback and overall response,” Pati added.
The program welcomes GMU students and external participants seeking better mental wellness. An interdisciplinary team from psychology, philosophy, and sociology departments will teach the curriculum.
GMU becomes Odisha’s first state-run institution to offer such a course. It will simultaneously launch a Gender Studies program with certificate and diploma tracks, tackling gender equality, stereotypes, and empowerment from both male and female viewpoints.
University insiders cited severe space shortages as the primary setback, now resolved with the full activation of the Basantpur campus.
