Question

Read the below statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark the correct options:

1. Assertion (A): The Happiness Index includes political freedom and social support.
2. Reason (R): The Index is published by the UNDP.

• A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
• B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
• C. A is true, but R is false.
• D. A is false, but R is true.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. A is true, but R is false.

World Happiness Report Analysis

• The World Happiness Report: This annual publication ranks countries based on subjective well-being. It relies on data from the Gallup World Poll.
• Key Variables: The report assesses happiness using six primary variables:
  • GDP per capita
  • Social support
  • Healthy life expectancy
  • Freedom to make life choices
  • Generosity
  • Perceptions of corruption
• Evaluating Assertion (A): The assertion is True. The report explicitly measures 'freedom to make life choices' and 'social support' as critical pillars for evaluating national well-being.
• Evaluating Reason (R): The reason provided is False. The World Happiness Report is not published by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). It is produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations.
• Important Distinction: While the UNDP publishes the Human Development Index (HDI), which focuses on health, education, and income, the World Happiness Report is a distinct study focusing on life satisfaction metrics.