New Delhi, 7 June 2024The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and the Ministry of AYUSH have commenced preparations for the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2024, celebrated annually on June 21st. Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, reviewed the media and outreach activities planned for the upcoming event.

The Media Units of the Ministry of I&B, including the Press Information Bureau, Prasar Bharati, and the New Media Wing, are organizing various programs to raise awareness about the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) and the benefits of practicing yoga. Prasar Bharati will broadcast and telecast diverse programs through the Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) networks. Doordarshan will air interviews with yoga experts and special live morning shows, while Akashvani will collaborate with the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga to promote yoga as a way of life.

The Ministry of AYUSH has created a ‘Yoga Geet’ which will be shared across all media platforms. Additionally, the Ministry of I&B will continue the Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) initiative, recognizing the contributions of media houses in promoting yoga. Awards will be presented for the best media coverage in print, TV, and radio.

The New Media Wing will conduct activities such as the ‘Yoga with Family’ contest, encouraging families to upload reels of their yoga sessions using the Yoga Geet, and a ‘Yoga Quiz – Guess the Aasan.’ An IDY 2024 podcast will also be released. Various media units and organizations will organize yoga sessions, workshops, and camps as a run-up to the event, promoting yoga and wellness among employees.

Since its inception, the scale of IDY celebrations has been increasing each year. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been instrumental in promoting yoga globally. On the 9th International Day of Yoga in 2023, he led the festivities at the UN headquarters, setting a Guinness World Record with delegates from 135 nations participating. The event was celebrated on a larger scale with new initiatives, including the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’ and ‘Yoga Bharatmala’ demonstrations.

Grassroots initiatives like ‘Har Aangan Yoga’ connected with rural communities, organizing yoga sessions at Panchayats, Anganwadi centers, and schools, covering approximately 200,000 locations. The estimated participation in IDY 2023 was 23.4 crore.

As IDY 2024 approaches, the combined efforts of the Ministry of I&B and the Ministry of AYUSH aim to further elevate the celebration, spreading the message of yoga and its benefits to an even wider audience.