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UP to have yoga in curriculum, separate board for Sanskrit education: Deputy CM

Deputy chief minister and minister for secondary education Dinesh Sharma on Wednesday said yoga would be included in school curriculum and a separate board to promote Sanskrit education would be set up in the state.

Updated on: Mar 29, 2017, 21:37:18 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
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Deputy chief minister and minister for secondary education Dinesh Sharma on Wednesday said yoga would be included in school curriculum and a separate board to promote Sanskrit education would be set up in the state.

School children perform Yoga during a programme on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in Jabalpur, in this file photo from January. Deputy chief minister and minister for secondary education Dinesh Sharma on Wednesday said yoga would be included in school curriculum. (PTI)
School children perform Yoga during a programme on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in Jabalpur, in this file photo from January. Deputy chief minister and minister for secondary education Dinesh Sharma on Wednesday said yoga would be included in school curriculum. (PTI)

Addressing a seminar on ‘Yoga as a medicine’ during Yoga Mahotsav organised by Patanjali Yog Peeth at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan here on Wednesday, Sharma said the state government would form a panel to set up a Board of Sanskrit Secondary Education.

Speaking about inclusion of yoga in school curriculum under physical education, he said: “The subject will be divided into two parts – yoga and physical education.”

Sharma said the Sanskrit education board would affiliate, conduct examinations and make grants-in-aid available to schools following its curriculum. “This Board will be the first of its kind in the country,” he said.

“The state has a Sanskrit Parishad but it is more or less defunct and is being run by only a handful of officials. Sanskrit scholars, intellectuals, professors and writers will be appointed to the Board,” he said.

He said the state government would look into the anomalies in pay scales of Sanskrit teachers. “It is not good to see Sanskrit teachers in a pathetic condition,” the minister said.

Earlier, yoga guru Baba Ramdev requested the state government to establish a Sanskrit University in Uttar Pradesh and improve the condition of Sanskrit schools.

“These institutions (Sanskrit schools) are in a pathetic condition and their teachers are getting low salaries,” he said.

Baba Ramdev expressed happiness that a ‘yogi’ had become the chief minister of the state. “Nath ‘parampara’ (tradition) laid the foundation of ‘Hathyoga’. The Nath sect has been instrumental in spreading the message of yoga. As the state now has a CM who comes with a background of yoga, he will surely help the students of yoga,” he said.

Baba Ramdev said his company would become the biggest not in India but also in the world within a decade but he would not keep the profits with himself but use it to promote education.

  • Anupam Srivastava
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    Anupam Srivastava

    Anupam Srivastava is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times, Lucknow, with over 26 years of experience in journalism. A widely travelled reporter, he is known for producing impactful exclusives, investigative reports, and in-depth analyses across environment, science, healthcare, women's issues, human-interest stories, civil aviation, surface and inland water transport, agriculture, urban and rural development, governance, public policy, politics, culture, music, and literature. Recognised for his meticulous research and evidence-based reporting, he has consistently highlighted issues that directly affect the lives of ordinary citizens, exposing governance gaps, policy failures, and environmental concerns while amplifying the voices of underserved communities. His reporting has influenced public discourse and contributed to administrative action and policy interventions, including the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to accord river status to the Kukrail instead of a drain after his reportage brought the issue into focus. His commitment to public-interest journalism has earned him prestigious awards for excellence in reporting on environment, science, literature, and culture. Combining investigative journalism, data-driven analysis, and compelling storytelling, Anupam Srivastava continues to produce journalism that informs, influences, and promotes accountability, firmly upholding the values of an independent and responsible press.Read More