Lok Sabha Question No. 3232 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-09
Subject: Shortage of Yoga Teachers
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Vijay Baghel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3232 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 th  December, 2019

Shortage of Yoga Teachers

## †3232. SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to meet the shortage of Yoga teachers in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any survey in view of shortage of yoga teachers;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the State of Chhattisgarh, State-wise; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to promote yoga in the country?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (d) : Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of schools, recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers including yoga teachers are  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State/Union  Territory  Governments  and  it  is  for  the respective  State/Union  Territory  Government  to  take  a  decision  in  such  matters  for  their schools.

(e) :    National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 recommended Yoga as an integral part of Health and Physical Education.  Health and Physical Education is a compulsory subject from  Class  I  to  Class  X  and  optional  from  Class  XI  to  XII.      The  National  Council  of Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  has  already  developed  integrated  syllabi  on Health and Physical Education from Class I to Class X.  NCERT organized Yoga Olympiad across  the  country  at  various  levels,  schools  from  states  and  UTs,  Kendriya  Vidyalaya Sangathan  (KVS),  Navodaya  Vidyalaya  Samiti  (NVS)  and  Central  Board  of  Secondary Education (CBSE) schools participated in the Yoga Olympiad, culminating  in the National Yoga Olympiad on 18 th to 20 th June, 2019 at NCERT, New Delhi.

Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE)  has  made  Health  and  Physical Education compulsory in all classes from I-XII. It has been advised to schools that Health and Physical Education includes three areas i.e. Health Education, Physical Education and Yoga and  all  three  areas  are  essential  to  achieve  holistic  health  (physical,  mental,  intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual).

The Government has also included Yoga training in the 'Study in India' programme to encourage Yoga seekers from abroad to obtain authentic Yoga training in India. UGC has approved  the  establishment  of  an  Inter  University  Centre-Yogic  Science  at  Bengaluru  and introduced Yoga as a new National Eligibility Test (NET) subject from January 2017 UGCNET onwards.  Yoga Departments have been established in nine Central Universities.

Further Ministry of AYUSH also strives to promote yoga and to create awareness for the benefit of the people. For this purpose an Information Education and Communication (IEC) Scheme, has been devised by the Ministry, activities under which include steps to reach out to  people  and  to  create  awareness  about  Yoga  and  Naturopathy.  IEC  activities  include programs  on TV, Radio, Print-media  etc.  As  a  part  of  observation  of  International  Day  of Yoga (IDY) on 21st June, the Ministry of AYUSH has reached out to about 2.5 lakh Gram Pradhan  with  suggested  plan  of  action  for  Yoga  promotion  in  villages.  Common  Service Centres (CSCs) of the Ministry of Electronics & IT have also been roped in for promotion of Yoga in rural areas.

Yoga is also a part of the Fit-India Movement. The Department of School Education and Literacy in co-ordination with Department of Sports is organising activities on 'Fit India Movement- Fit  India  School'  in  schools  to  inculcate  physical  activity/sports/yoga  into  the daily  life  of  Students.  Further,  the  Department  circulated  advisory  to  school  authorities  to make necessary arrangement for the student to view/hear the Fitness Pledge programme and take the Fitness Pledge on 29 th August, 2019. Nearly, thirteen lakh schools and eleven Crore students all over the country attended/viewed the programme and took the fitness pledge.

*****