New Delhi: In a landmark initiative to promote the science of happiness, the Rekhi Mind Lab was inaugurated on March 20,2025, at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) by the Director of IIT Delhi, Prof. Rangan Banerjee and Dr. Satinder Singh Rekhi, founder of Rekhi Foundation for Happiness. This pioneering facility will be a state-of-the-art space dedicated to research and development of pedagogical tools to promote happiness and wellbeing as a skill within the academic curriculum.

The program started with lighting of the ceremonial lamp followed by Mind Lab inauguration. Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, addressing the gathering highlighted the importance of this collaboration, saying, "At IIT Delhi, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and research. Rekhi Mind Lab aligns perfectly with our mission to address real-world challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. This initiative will not only benefit students at IIT Delhi but also serve as a model for educational institutions across the country." 

Dr. Satinder Rekhi, delivering his keynote talk spoke about ‘Monkey Brain’ and emphasised that the solution to various problems lies in self control and mindfulness. Sharing his vision for the foundation he said, "All human beings share the common goal of living happy, meaningful lives, yet we face a stressful and complex world that tests our emotional limits. Rekhi Foundation’s aim is to  spread happiness through Happy Students, Happy Faculty, Happy Campuses, and Happy Communities. Starting in 2016, at IIT Kharagpur, now Rekhi Happiness Centres have presence in over 60 institutions spread over 6 countries. The initiative has been successful in promoting happiness through scientific methods, offering university courses, establishing mind labs, and organizing community events and workshops.“

Dr. Rekhi further added,”By combining research and education, we aim to deepen the understanding of happiness and well-being, empowering individuals to lead fulfilling lives and manage challenges effectively."

Prof. Jyoti Kumar, Head of the Department of Design at IIT Delhi and Rekhi Mind lab shared, " Mind Lab activities will be a platform for scientifically driven transformative approaches in higher education rooted in the science of happiness”. He further added, ”We have already floated a short course on science of happiness and the pedagogy will follow an integrative approach focusing on theories along with culturally relevant practices such as gratitude journaling, mindfulness, nature immersion, and yoga, to create a holistic framework for education where students thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.”
Dr. Pooja Sahni, Principal Project Scientist, Rekhi Mind Lab, shared her insights on the lab’s potential. "We are developing evidence-based interventions that can be seamlessly integrated into classrooms, ensuring that both students and teachers benefit from a focus on mental health and emotional wellbeing. Our goal is to create tools and methodologies that are practical, scalable, and impactful."

MoU between Rekhi foundation and IIT Delhi was signed earlier this year and the inaugural event was held in sync with International Happiness Day Celebrations. Over 500 students, faculty members from IITD as well as various colleges of Delhi University participated.

Contacts:

Prof. Jyoti Kumar

PI, Rekhi Mind lab

jyoti@design.iitd.ac.in

Rekhi Mind Lab and the Rekhi Foundation:  www.rekhifoundation.com.