NEW DELHI: Undeterred by critics accusing the Narendra Modi government of saffronising education, the government is drafting plans to introduce yoga at under-graduate and postgraduate levels across all Indian universities in the country.
Government sources said the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) is working on the proposal to ensure curriculum and design of the course to meet the demand for the growing yoga industry worldwide.
An official said that yoga is widely practiced worldwide and the aim is to develop skilled yoga teachers, who can move out globally and spread India’s yoga.
“It will generate jobs for unemployed youths in a big way. In India, yoga centres have mushroomed where there is really dearth of good teachers who have an understanding of yoga. By propagating and legalising yoga as a study, it will prove to be a catalyst,” said the official.
Around 3,000 students are undergoing yoga courses in six Central and 25 other universities, besides 18 colleges that offer a Masters degree in Yoga. The government plans to introduce yoga as a subject in the 693 universities across the country.