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

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

He was speaking in Shimla during an interactive session at the Student Parliament (Chhatra Sansad), welcomes students from approximately 22 States across the country. “Himachal Pradesh has recorded a massive increase in both forest and tree cover in the last two decades, reaffirming its role as one of the greenest and most environmentally conscious States in India. With vast snow-covered landscapes surpassing those of Switzerland, the State is uniquely positioned to lead in environmental conservation and natural farming with its robust Minimum Support Price initiatives,” he said.

Pointing out that Himachal Pradesh has a literacy rate of 99.30%, the Prime Minister said that he has further modernized the education sector of the State by establishing Rajiv Gandhi residential schools in every constituency and introducing English from Class I in all government schools. “We started”Sukh Aashraya YojnaThe state has legally recognized orphans as ‘Children of the State’. “This pioneering program caters to all needs, from pocket money and seasonal clothes to ₹75 lakh, for those who want to pursue higher education in prestigious institutions like IITs or IIMs,” he added.

Mr. Sukhu said the government was working on a systemic transformation aimed at making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant rather than just exercising authority. “By leveraging its natural blessings and river systems, we aim to make Himachal a ‘green State’ by 2026. With 14,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power currently being generated and a significant shift towards solar power, the government aims to ensure that the benefits of these resources reach everyone among the nearly 75 lakh population of the State,” he said.