‘Yoga should be an optional subject’

authorities in the Taj city hail the benefits of Yoga but are not enthusiastic about the practice being made a mandatory part of the school curriculum.

Secretary of Association of Progressive Schools, Susheel Gupta, endorsed the utility of Yoga in improving health and said that meditation was practised during morning assembly in his own school but expressed reservation on including Yoga in school curriculum.

“There is time constraint, as CBSE has directed that school timings should not exceed 6 hours and 10 minutes duration which makes it tough to have sufficient periods of 35 minutes each. In such a scenario, adding Yoga classes would be a tough task,” said Susheel Gupta.

Amir Ahmed, a prominent lawyer, himself spends some time in the morning to practice Yoga and applauds its utility in remaining fit but is not keen on the idea of making it mandatory in schools.“It should be an optional subject. the government should not force the decision to make Yoga compulsory,” he said.

“The state government has many more important tasks in hand, including that of improving infrastructure of the existing education system. There are no class rooms, teachers are missing and attendance is low. The common man awaits education despite Right to Education (RTE) . It would be better if the government ensures health facilities in hospitals rather than ensuring Yoga in schools,” he said.