Lok Sabha Question No. 2001 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-29
Subject: Teaching of Yoga
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: CHINTAMAN NAVSHA WANAGA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO . 2001 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH DECEMBER, 2017

## TEACHING OF YOGA

## 2001. ADV. CHINTAMAN NAVASHA WANAGA:

Will  the  Minister of AYURVEDA,  YOGA  AND  NATUROPATHY,  UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Saudi Arabia has officially approved teaching of Yoga;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto ;
- (c) whether the Indian Government has given any assistance in this regard and if so, the thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to include yoga in the country's educational curriculum; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a)& (b) : It  is  reported  by  the  Indian  Mission  at  Riyadh  that  in  November  2017,    Sa Ministry of Trade & Industry has approved  listing of Yoga in the category of 'Sports Activities'. The citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can now practice Yoga by obtaining license from the Government authorities.
- (c) : The  Embassy  of  India  in  Riyadh  and  Consulate  General  of  India  in  Jeddah  have  bee propagating  Yoga  practices  in  various  cities  of  the  Kingdom  of  Saudi  Arabia  under respective jurisdictions for past few years. Since, the last three years, the 'International Day of Yoga' has also been celebrated with participation of thousands of Indian community members, teacher and students, foreign diplomats and Saudi nationals.  The Yoga demonstration as w lectu res  have  also  been  organized  for  participants  in  sessions  led  by  the  Saudi  female trainers. The Mission has also arranged participation of Saudi Yoga trainers in the Inte Yoga  Conference  organized  by  Ministry  of  AYUSH  in  India.  All  the  above activities  have played a significant role in propagating and popularizing Yoga in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Contd……….

(d)& (e) : The NCERT has informed that the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 recommended    Yoga  as  an  Integral  Part  of  Health and  Physical  Education,    which  is  a compulsory  subject  from  Class  I  to  Class  X  and  optional  from  Classes  XI  to  XII.  NCF further recommended that 'Yoga may be introduced from the primary level onwards in informal ways,  but  formal  introduction  of  yogic exercises  should  begin  only  from  class  VI  onwards.' NCERT has already developed integrated syllabi on Health and Physical Education from Clas to Class X. The content of Yoga has been included from Class VI onward. A separate syll on Yoga from Upper Primary to Secondary Stage had also been developed.  NCERT has brought out the following two textual materials for Upper Primary (Classes VI to VIII) and Seco Stages (Classes IX & X):

1. Yoga: A Healthy Way of Living (Upper Primary stage)
2. Yoga: A Heal thy Way of Living (Secondary Stage)

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