Moving beyond academic and professional skills to focus on character, responsibility and personal growth, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has launched Goodness: Character, Responsibility and Human Flourishing (LA2270), the first academic credit course on goodness in India. The one-credit elective is open to all undergraduate students, including BTech students across Years I to IV and BDes students, with no prerequisites. More than 140 students have already opted for the course.
The course encourages students to reflect on what constitutes a good life, how success can be defined beyond income and position, and what responsibility individuals have towards society. Rather than prescribing a single model of a “good person”, it invites students to examine goodness critically and consider how it can be practised in everyday life.
Across seven sessions, students explore the Goodness Index™ framework, human flourishing through the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions of life, Character Infrastructure, the Character Dividend, Personal Social Responsibility (PSR), and the connection between goodness and Viksit Bharat. The course aims to move students from understanding goodness to practising it and becoming more responsible individuals, concluding with a reflection on the kind of India they wish to help build.
The course concept was proposed by the Institute of Goodness and adopted and approved by IITH as an academic credit course. It is taught by Mr. Ravi Sharma, founder of the Institute of Goodness and an alumnus of IIT Roorkee, whose work includes the Goodness Index™ framework.
Shri. Ravi Sharma, Founder, Institute of Goodness, who is teaching Goodness course said, “At the Institute of Goodness, we believe that goodness is the foundation of sustainable happiness and the true measure of success. Our vision is to make goodness measurable, teachable and an integral part of mainstream education. This pioneering credit course at IITH is an important step towards redefining success – not merely by what we achieve for ourselves but by the positive difference we make to others and society. I am delighted by the enthusiastic response of over 140 students and grateful to IITH for embracing this initiative. I hope this marks the beginning of a larger movement to build the Character Infrastructure of India, creating not just a more prosperous nation, but also a more responsible, compassionate and happier society.”
Complementing this initiative, IITH has introduced Mental Well-being & Resilience, a mandatory one-credit course for all first-year undergraduate students, conducted in collaboration with the Institute’s Sunshine Counseling Cell. The course takes a proactive approach to student well-being, covering stress and time management, emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, resilience, digital well-being, addiction management and suicide prevention training. It also connects students with awareness programmes, peer-support groups and other activities organised by the Sunshine Counseling Cell.
Dr. Neeraj Kumar, Faculty-in-Charge, Sunshine Counseling Cell of IITH shared; “Resilience and goodness strengthen each other. Students who can manage stress and reach out for help are better placed to care for others, and students who reflect on their responsibility to others often find greater meaning in their own lives. The Mental Well-being & Resilience course gives every first-year student practical skills to cope, connect, and seek early support, and Sunshine will back it with peer support groups and awareness programs. Alongside the Goodness course, this reflects an Institute that cares about how its students grow as people, not only as professionals.”
Speaking on the vision behind introducing the course, Prof. B S Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said: “Education must go beyond building knowledge and professional competence. It should also encourage students to reflect on their character, responsibilities and contribution to society. Through the Goodness course, we want our students to think critically about what it means to lead a meaningful life and how their choices and actions can contribute to a better society and a Viksit Bharat. Through such courses, students can surmount the difficulties (if any) associated with academic & personal aspects towards reaching their goals without any hiccups.”
Together, the two courses reflect the emphasis that IITH places on holistic education—supporting students not only in academic and professional development, but also in personal well-being, responsible decision-making and their contribution to society.
