The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and the Ministry of AYUSH have commenced preparations for the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2024, which is celebrated annually on June 21st. Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of AYUSH, reviewed the media and outreach activities planned for the upcoming event today.
The Ministry of I&B’s media units are set to organise various programs to promote awareness about the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) and the benefits of practising Yoga. Key activities are being planned by units such as the Press Information Bureau, Prasar Bharati, and the New Media Wing.
Prasar Bharati, the public service broadcaster, will air different programs through the Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) networks. Doordarshan will feature broadcasts of programs and interviews with Yoga experts, alongside special LIVE morning shows. AIR will collaborate with the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of AYUSH, to promote Yoga as a lifestyle choice for overall wellness. A specially prepared ‘Yoga Geet’ by the Ministry of AYUSH will be shared across all media platforms.
Continuing its initiative from the previous year, the Ministry of I&B will encourage private media organisations through the Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS). Instituted on June 9, 2023, the AYDMS recognises the contributions of media houses in spreading the message of Yoga. Categories for the awards include ‘Best Media Coverage in Yoga in Newspaper’, ‘Best Media Coverage in Yoga in Electronic Media (TV)’, and ‘Best Media Coverage in Yoga in Electronic Media (Radio)’. The awards for this year, as well as the previous year’s awards, will be presented after the 2024 celebrations.
The New Media Wing will engage the public through activities such as the ‘Yoga with Family’ contest, encouraging families to practice Yoga together and share their experiences via social media using the Yoga Geet. Additionally, a ‘Yoga Quiz – Guess the Aasan’ will be organised, and an IDY 2024 Podcast will be released.
Various media units and organisations under the Ministry of I&B will also host sessions and workshops on Yoga leading up to IDY. These initiatives aim to promote Yoga and wellness among employees through Yoga camps, seminars, and other activities.
The celebration of IDY has grown significantly since June 21 was recognised as International Yoga Day. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has played a pivotal role in promoting Yoga globally. On the 9th International Day of Yoga in 2023, the Prime Minister led the celebrations at the UN headquarters, with delegates from 135 nations. This event set a Guinness World Record for the number of participating nations.
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Other notable events from IDY 2023 included the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’, where naval personnel from 19 ships across 34 countries demonstrated Yoga with support from the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, and Ports Shipping, and Waterways. Yoga demonstrations were held from the Arctic to Antarctica, including India’s research bases, Himadri and Bharati. The Indian armed forces organised ‘Yoga Bharatmala’ and coastal demonstrations termed ‘Yoga Sagarmala.’
At the grassroots level, the ‘Har Aangan Yoga’ initiative connected with rural communities, conducting Yoga sessions at Panchayats, Anganwadi centres, and schools, covering approximately 200,000 locations. The estimated participation in IDY 2023 was 23.4 crore.
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