HARYANA IS all set to include yoga in the school curriculum as a separate subject in government schools starting from the next academic session commencing April 1, 2021. (Express File Photo/used for representational purpose)
HARYANA IS all set to include yoga in the school curriculum as a separate subject in government schools starting from the next academic session commencing April 1, 2021. “The decision that aims to inculcate the habit of yoga among students right from the very beginning would also make Haryana perhaps the first state in the country to make yoga part of studies in schools,†said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while chairing a meeting of the Haryana Yog Parishad that was attended by state Home Minister Anil Vij and Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who is also brand ambassador of Haryana for promotion of yoga and Ayurveda in the state.
“Apart from moral education, yoga is already being taught to students from the academic session 2016-17. But taking a step ahead, it has now been decided to make yoga a compulsory or optional subject in the school curriculum and the Department of School Education has constituted a committee for this purpose. The subject curriculum would be designed in such a way that it would have both theoretical and practical content on the pattern of physical education so that besides education, students could also get training in yoga,†a government spokesperson said, Wednesday.
Khattar said, “The aim of the state government is to take yoga to the grassroot level and encourage people to make it part of their lifestyle. For this, Yog and Vyayamshalas and other adequate infrastructure is being made available at the village level. The Development and Panchayats Department has also been directed to put up a proposal within a week for the setting up of 1000 more Yogshalas in the state. Department of AYUSH has been directed to take up the matter on priority basis for the setting up of Wellness Centres at Yogshalas under the state scheme and finalize the preventive activities to be taken up in these centres at the earliest. Focus should be on promoting Yoga and naturopathy so as to minimise the dependency on medicine.â€
It was decided in the meeting that to further encourage people to make yoga an integral part of their life, a ‘Yog Prashikshan Diwas’ would be organized on the first Sunday of every month under the aegis of Haryana Yog Parishad. Under this, yoga training programmes would be organised at the district, block and tehsil levels wherein trained Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) and degree holders in Physical Education (DPEs) would impart yoga training to the people. Decision was also taken in the meeting to rename the Prakritik Chikitsa Kendra as ‘Yog and Ayush Kendra’. Apart from rural areas, ‘Yog and Ayush Kendra’ would be set up at all district headquarters.
It was also decided in the meeting that an international level ‘Dhyan Yog Kendra’ (Meditation Yoga Centre) would be set up at Shri Krishna AYUSH University, Kurukshetra which would give the Holy city a distinct identity and take it further on the world heritage map in the time to come.
“The Shri Krishna AYUSH University, Kurukshetra, would explore the possibility of signing a MoU with Patanjali Yogpeeth Haridwar for running the Meditation Yoga Centre,†a government spokesperson said.
“The process for recruitment of 1000 Ayush Yog Sahayak and 22 Ayush Yoga Coach is in progress and would be completed soon. To popularise yoga in the state, it has been decided to recruit 1,000 Ayush Yog Sahayak on contractual basis. Apart from this, 22 Ayush Yog Coach are to be recruited for various yogshalas across the state. Work is underway on the proposed Act of Haryana Yog Ayog and it would be brought in the next session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha after getting it passed from the state Cabinet,†the spokesperson added.
Baba Ramdev said, “Yoga classes should be organised in all villages of the state and people should be encouraged to inculcate yoga in their lives.â€
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
