With the country set to celebrate the second International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21, the government has proposed instituting ‘Yoga medals’ for central paramilitary troops for displaying exceptional skills in the practice.
Besides, it has also planned to re-employ retiring personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces as master yoga trainers in order to create a constant resource pool of teachers for about 9 lakh personnel of CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB and BSF.
The two decisions were taken at a meeting attended by top officers of these forces and the Union home ministry recently where it was resolved that close to 30,000 personnel will take part in IYD in various state capitals and other prominent cities.
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In Chandigarh, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to lead the IYD event, over 2,000 troops, largely drawn from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, will participate.
As per a blueprint prepared in this regard, also accessed by PTI, a committee has been formed under country’s largest paramilitary CRPF which will “suggest modalities” for awarding Yoga medals to those personnel who have “excelled” in not only performing the various ‘aasanas’ deftly but also having a good track record as a Yoga teacher.
{{/usCountry}}As per a blueprint prepared in this regard, also accessed by PTI, a committee has been formed under country’s largest paramilitary CRPF which will “suggest modalities” for awarding Yoga medals to those personnel who have “excelled” in not only performing the various ‘aasanas’ deftly but also having a good track record as a Yoga teacher.
{{/usCountry}}Each of these forces, the Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Border Security Force, ITBP and Sashastra Seema Bal, have been asked to “identify” such personnel. It is also essential that those selected for the medal display their skills during the IYD this year.
Another decision taken at the meeting was to offer paramilitary personnel retiring in the near future the option of becoming Master Yoga Trainers as a post-retirement assignment.