Himachal Pradesh is country’s happiest State, says CM Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday (January 9, 2026) that Himachal Pradesh has earned the distinction of being India’s “happiest State”, attributing the recognition to strong developmental indicators.

He was speaking in Shimla during an interactive session at the Students’ Parliament (Chhatra Sansad), welcoming students from nearly 22 States across the country. “Himachal Pradesh has reaffirmed its role as one of India’s greenest and environmentally progressive States, registering a major increase in both forest and tree cover over the past two decades. The vast snowbound landscapes exceed those of Switzerland, the State is uniquely positioned to lead in environmental preservation and in natural farming through robust Minimum Support Price initiatives,” he said.

Pointing out that Himachal Pradesh has a literacy rate of 99.30%, the Chief Minister said the State was further modernising its education sector by establishing Rajiv Gandhi day-boarding schools in every constituency and by introducing English from Class I in all government schools. “We have started ‘Sukh Aashraya Yojna,’ under which the State has legally adopted orphaned children as ‘Children of the State’. This pioneering scheme covers all their needs, from pocket money and seasonal clothing to a provision of ₹75 lakh for those who want to pursue higher education at prestigious institutions like the IITs or IIMs,” he added.

Mr. Sukhu said the government was working towards a systemic transformation aimed at making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant rather than merely exercising authority. “We intend to make Himachal a ‘green State’ by 2026, leveraging its natural bounty and river systems. With 14,000 megawatt of hydel energy already being generated and a significant shift towards solar power, the government aims to ensure that the benefits of these resources reach everyone among the State’s around 75 lakh population,” he noted.