On the 10th International Day of Yoga, Union Health Minister JP Nadda commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for elevating yoga’s global status, noting that the practice is now worldwide. He urged everyone to integrate yoga into their daily routines for better health.
“I got the opportunity to perform Yoga with Yoga enthusiasts at Yamuna Sports Complex, on the occasion of International Day of Yoga. PM Modi initiated International Yoga Day in the UN General Assembly for which he got support from different countries,” Nadda told reporters.
He highlighted PM Modi’s role in spreading yoga globally: “Under the leadership of PM Modi, the practice of Yoga which was earlier limited to our country has reached every corner of the world. Everybody is becoming a part of it. I want to appeal to everyone to include yoga in their regular lives to remain healthy,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi spearheaded the celebrations from the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. This year’s event, themed “Yoga for Self and Society,” focuses on yoga’s significant impact on individual health and societal harmony. The celebration aims to unite thousands in yoga practice, promoting wellness worldwide.
Several Union Ministers and leaders participated in yoga sessions across the country. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju remarked on yoga’s global acceptance, calling it “India’s gift to the world.” He noted, “On 10th International Yoga Day, a new record is being created as people in large numbers are practicing Yoga…The world has accepted Yoga…Yoga is India’s gift to the world…”
Union Minister BL Verma praised PM Modi’s international yoga advocacy and encouraged people to incorporate yoga into their daily lives. He stated, “International Yoga Day is being celebrated all over the world…PM Modi promoted yoga internationally…I urge people of the nation to practice yoga daily…By practicing yoga in Srinagar, PM Modi is sending a message to the world that we should practice and take yoga forward.”
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi emphasized yoga’s global acceptance since 2014 under PM Modi’s leadership. He observed, “2014 onwards, under the leadership of PM Modi, International Yoga Day has started and in various countries, yoga is being practiced…Today, PM Modi will be practicing yoga in Srinagar…The people of Kashmir are also showing their interest in practicing yoga…”
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also participated in a yoga event in the national capital. Sharing his personal routine, he stated, “It is an incredible, peace-giving experience to perform yoga today. Yoga is a science to lead a healthy, happy, and wholesome life. Yoga not only makes the body ailment-free but also makes the mind healthy and sharp, it is a medium through which the human soul moves towards God. This is an incredible practice India has given to the world.”
Expressing gratitude to PM Modi, he added, “I want to express heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as under his leadership yoga has reached every corner of the globe. On the occasion of International Yoga Day, I want to appeal to everyone to practice yoga not just today but every day. Make it an integral part of life. Human beings have unlimited possibilities and to know them yoga must be practiced. I practice yoga every day.”
Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Mansukh Mandaviya also participated in various yoga events. Since 2015, PM Modi has led International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations at iconic locations such as Kartavya Path in Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Ranchi, Lucknow, Mysuru, and even the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This year’s events will span the nation, including a notable “Yoga for Space” event with ISRO centers and units practicing the common Yoga Protocol. Embassies and Indian Missions worldwide will join in, showcasing yoga’s extensive influence.