Now, state wants colleges, schools to hold yoga class once every month

MUMBAI: School and colleges in Maharashtra are likely to start yoga sessions once in every month. The state education minister Vinod Tawde has directed officials to ensure students perform different asanas on the 21st of every month. International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 every year. He also said conducting yoga sessions once in a year will have little impact of students’ health .

He issued directives while he was addressing a preparatory meeting for International Yoga Day with senior officials from state school education, and higher and technical education departments on Thursday.

In 2014, the United Nations declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the day to be adopted as a global celebration of yoga, an ancient practice that began in India more than 5,000 years ago.

“We celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21 every year. Now, we should start conducting yoga sessions in school and colleges on the 21st of every month which should not be less than half an hour. In case of holidays, the session can be conducted a day in advance or the next day,” Tawde said.

“Yoga helps in overall personality development of the students. It will also help students in developing concentration and agility necessary in today’s fast paced life. Celebrating Yoga Day only on June 21 in a year will serve no purpose. We also need to organise Yoga Mahotsav in every district and get participate as many students as possible,” he said. However, the idea of celebrating Yoga Day on the 21st of every month was first mooted by the minister in 2016.

The education minister also directed the officials to set up an independent website and upload information and photos of celebration of International Yoga Day on it.