Lessons from IIT Hyderabad's Bold Experiment

Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, launched a unique credit course titled,  "Goodness: Character, Responsibility and Human Flourishing (LA2270)". It is a truly commendable and timely initiative. In today's hyper-competitive world, where education is often reduced to technology, marks, and placements, this course seeks to remind students that humanity, service, empathy, and character are equally essential.

The course has been designed by Mr. Ravi Sharma, founder of the Institute of Goodness and an alumnus of IIT Roorkee. More than 140 students have already enrolled. Spread over seven sessions, it covers profound concepts like the Goodness Index, Character Infrastructure, Character Dividend, Personal Social Responsibility, physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being, and the link between individual goodness and Viksit Bharat.

Why Do We Need Such a Course Today?

The answer lies in the World Happiness Report. India, despite being the world's 4th largest economy by nominal GDP, ranked a dismal 126th in 2024 and 118th in 2025 in the happiness index. Even our neighbours Pakistan (109) and Nepal (99) ranked above us. In parameters like social support and generosity, we are at 123rd position.

This paradox is revealing. Our problem is not economic; it is social and moral. Wealth has grown, but the willingness to stand by one another, to help a stranger, to show compassion, has declined. This moral deficit is precisely what IIT Hyderabad's course aims to address. As IIT Hyderabad Director Prof. B.S. Murthy rightly observed, education must not be confined to knowledge and employability alone.

Can Goodness Be Taught in a Classroom?

Here lies the critical question: Can goodness be taught like a subject, with a syllabus and an examination? Can humanity be scored out of 100?

The truth is, goodness cannot be learned from textbooks; it must be lived. It is cultivated not through lectures, but through lived experiences - by teaching an underprivileged child, feeding the hungry, understanding a fellow human's pain, extending a helping hand during floods, earthquakes or a pandemic, donating blood, witnessing a farmer's hardship firsthand, helping an accident victim on the road, or performing the last rites of an unclaimed body. It is in these moments that goodness takes root in a student's heart.

From Classroom to Community: The Need for Experiential Learning

Therefore, classroom teaching alone is insufficient. Field immersion, community engagement, and interaction with change-makers are far more crucial. The initiative by an elite institution like IIT Hyderabad is a welcome beginning, but it must not end within four walls.

Students should be taken into society and integrated with established service organizations. This includes government-led movements like NSS, NCC, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and humanitarian bodies like the Indian Red Cross Society, Lions Club, and Rotary Club; spiritual and service organizations like ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, Brahma Kumaris, and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind; and leading NGOs like Teach India, Pratham, Smile Foundation, and Chamak Foundation.

Furthermore, direct interaction with eminent social reformers is essential. Meeting personalities like Anna Hazare, Sandeep Pandey, Kailash Satyarthi, Sonam Wangchuk, Vandana Shiva, Prof. Shantha Sinha, Jadav Payeng, Sunitha Krishnan, and Bezwada Wilson can be transformative. When students hear how these individuals sacrificed their personal lives for society, they learn that success is not just about a salary package, but about purpose.

Only when students actively participate in rural immersions, study government schools and agricultural distress, and engage with real-life heroes, will goodness cease to be a course and become a way of life.

A Model for the Nation

The University Grants Commission (UGC) should take cognizance of this model and consider introducing it experimentally across all universities and colleges in India. Moreover, students who excel in such courses, demonstrating exemplary character and social commitment, should be given preference in placements and public service opportunities.

At a time when we are producing thousands of doctors, engineers, lawyers, and scientists, what India urgently needs is good human beings. Goodness is not weakness; it is the true foundation of a strong and Viksit Bharat.

This course on goodness should not be seen as an add-on, but as a powerful instrument to nurture ideal citizens. And only when we have ideal citizens can society truly progress.