The tenth edition of the International Day of Yoga is going to be held in Srinagar, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, on June 21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated the programme from here by guiding the gathering on the different yoga 'asanas' himself, like every year.
Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav flagged off the theme—'Yoga for Self and Society'—of the celebration at a media briefing in Delhi, showcasing yoga in a dual role on the domestic scene: improving the health of body and society alike. He pointed to increasing participation over the last few years—this speaks to the deep impact of yoga in communities.
Beginning from the very top, Prime Minister Modi has done the personal appeal by letter to all Gram Pradhans to join in and make yoga take off in rural areas. Also, this year too, with PM Modi leading the event, come back IDY celebrations in Srinagar.
Since 2015, PM Modi has been crusading across the world for yoga, having achieved IDY at places of iconic locations: Kartavya Path in Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jabalpur, or even at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Under his leadership, yoga received international recognition and gained a great deal of visibility globally.
IDY events have created four Guinness World Records in the past ten years. In 2015, PM Modi participated along with 35,985 Indians in performing yoga at Rajpath. In 2023, the numbers reached close to 23.4 crore globally, participating in IDY events.
Initiatives to take yoga to all reach the limelight during the briefing; these include a 'Common Yoga Protocol Book in Braille' for visually impaired and Professor Ayushman Comic that can make yoga enjoyable and educational for the children.
The IDY will be celebrated with a new initiative of 'Yoga for Space.' This event calls for all ISRO scientists and officials to jointly do yoga according to the Common Yoga Protocol. Of course, this also includes members of the Gaganyaan project team.
Ayush Ministry has launched the Yoga Tech Challenge on the MyGov and MyBharat portals for recognizing value-added startups and individuals involved in developing tools and accessories pertaining to yoga. There is an array of contests and activities, such as the 'Yoga with Family' Video Contest in partnership with ICCR. This is an initiative where global families can be part of the joyful celebrations of IDY 2024 and celebrate family bonding with yoga. Last date for submission is June 30.
