Haryana to introduce yoga in Classes 3-9 curriculum from next academic session, announces CM Saini

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday announced that yoga will be included in the curricula of classes 3-9 from the next academic session, and it will also be a mandatory component of the state government recruitment examinations. He further said yogasanas will be included as a sports discipline in the state government's policy.

Saini was addressing a state-level event in Panchkula on the occasion of International Day of Yoga. "Yoga will be included in the curriculum for all classes from class 3 to 9 in the upcoming academic session," Saini said, adding that this will foster physical, mental and emotional development of the students.

He said yoga has already been included in the class 8 curriculum for the current academic session. "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," Saini announced.

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The chief minister further urged people to make yoga an integral part of their daily lives. On the occasion, he performed various yoga asanas and pranayama exercises at the event, along with hundreds of participants. Addressing the gathering, Saini said that to regularly promote yoga and yoga education in all schools across the state, special training will be provided to all physical training Instructors and other teachers, A state-level institute dedicated to naturopathy and yoga will be established at Morni in Panchkula district, he said.

Yoga will be included as a key component in the five 'Centres of Excellence' currently being set up at various universities across the state as well, the chief minister said. The sports departments in all higher education institutions across Haryana will be renamed as the 'Departments of Sports and Yoga' with yogasanas treated as a sports discipline in the state's policy, he further said.

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. "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," he said. He added that on the International Day of Yoga, "let us all pledge to do yoga regularly and contribute towards building a healthy, aware and strong society".