Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced on Sunday that yoga will be included in the curriculum for classes 3 to 9 from the upcoming academic session and will also be a mandatory component of all state government recruitment examinations.
Yoga in School Curriculum
Speaking at a state-level event in Panchkula on International Day of Yoga, Saini said, “Yoga will be included in the curriculum for all classes from class 3 to 9 in the upcoming academic session.” He emphasized that this step will foster physical, mental and emotional development of students. Currently, yoga is already part of the class 8 curriculum for the current academic session.
Mandatory in Recruitment Exams
Saini announced that questions related to yoga will be made a mandatory component of all examinations conducted by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and the Haryana Public Service Commission. “For this, necessary amendments will be made in the examination policy,” he stated.
The chief minister also urged people to make yoga an integral part of their daily lives. He performed various yoga asanas and pranayama exercises at the event alongside hundreds of participants.
Training and Infrastructure
To promote yoga education in all schools across the state, special training will be provided to all physical training instructors and other teachers, Saini said. He also announced that a state-level institute dedicated to naturopathy and yoga will be established at Morni in Panchkula district.
Sports Departments Renamed
Saini further revealed that sports departments in all higher education institutions across Haryana will be renamed as ‘Departments of Sports and Yoga’. Yogasanas will be treated as a sports discipline in the state’s policy. Additionally, yoga will be a key component in the five ‘Centres of Excellence’ currently being set up at various universities in the state.
Cultural Heritage and Health
Highlighting the significance of yoga, Saini said, “Yoga is an invaluable knowledge from India’s ancient cultural heritage that has shown the entire world the path to a healthy life and inner balance.” He added, “Yoga is not merely a means to keep the body healthy, but it is also a powerful practice to make the mind calm, thoughts positive and life disciplined.”
On International Day of Yoga, he urged everyone to pledge to do yoga regularly and contribute towards building a healthy, aware and strong society.
