Yoga gyan may boost admission chances to physiotherapy course

NEWDELHI:From next year, people with knowledge of yoga may be given preference in admissions to physiotherapy programmes in colleges and universities.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), under the ministry of human resource development (HRD), will decide whether to grant preferences to practitioners of yogas applying to physiotherapy programmes at its next meeting, said a senior official in the UGC.

The UGC could not reach a consensus on the proposal at the August 24 meeting, according to official minutes of the meeting obtained by the HT.

According to a senior UGC official, the proposal, if accepted, would come into effect by 2018.

Last year, the HRD asked the UGC to make instruction in yoga a part of bachelor’s and master’s courses in physiotherapy.

It then wrote to all central universities suggesting they form yoga courses based on the syllabus available on website of the department of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy. The UGC official said this letter suggested that prior experience with yoga should be a criterion for evaluating physiotherapy applicants.

Last year, the UGC approved the establishment of undergraduate and postgraduate yoga departments at central universities. Six have set up programs so far.