As Chandigarh gears up to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi on International Yoga Day on June 21, the city’s students are also preparing for the big day.
Over 10,000 students from various schools and colleges of the city are being engaged for the event. Besides 5,000 school students who would be doing yoga ‘asanas’ with the PM at the designated venue, students will also be asked to do the ‘asanas’ on their respective school premises.
Director school education (DSE) Rubinderjit Singh Brar said students who wish to volunteer to take part in the event can perform yoga on the school campus. “All students will also be given participation certificates,” he said. A couple of meetings have been held in this regard, in which, education department officials guided the programming officers of private and government schools regarding the upcoming yoga training camps. Schools are encouraging NSS volunteers of each school to take part in the event. While the Isha Foundation instructors will officially begin the training session next week, some schools have already started yoga camps. Students, mostly above the age of 12, will take part in the event.
“Besides, holding sessions in May, before students head for summer vacation, candidates, including students and teachers, will be told to come for rehearsals around June 17 to get ready for the final event on June 21,depending on the requirement,” said Bikram Rana, state liaison officer, NSS.
While shirts with the Int’l yoga Day logo will be provided by the government, students are expected to arrange their own lowers for the event. Around five schools will practice the exercises together at different venues during the last few days. “We want to ensure that students who are physically fit take part in the event so that there are minimal chances of heat strokes,” Rana added. Principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, Anujit Kaur, said, “We started a two-day camp in our school on Thursday.” The education department also confirmed that the training session will begin at Government College of Yoga Education and Health on Friday, in which 100 students from both private and government schools will get trained for about three hours between 7am and 10am. Instructors from Brahmrishi Yoga Training College are also being roped in.
{{/usCountry}}While shirts with the Int’l yoga Day logo will be provided by the government, students are expected to arrange their own lowers for the event. Around five schools will practice the exercises together at different venues during the last few days. “We want to ensure that students who are physically fit take part in the event so that there are minimal chances of heat strokes,” Rana added. Principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, Anujit Kaur, said, “We started a two-day camp in our school on Thursday.” The education department also confirmed that the training session will begin at Government College of Yoga Education and Health on Friday, in which 100 students from both private and government schools will get trained for about three hours between 7am and 10am. Instructors from Brahmrishi Yoga Training College are also being roped in.
{{/usCountry}}500 differently-abled people to be trained
With an aim to make International Yoga Day celebrations more inclusive, the UT administration has decided to train differently-abled people to perform yoga during the main event in the city.
Sources said the administration is targeting to get around 500 differently-abled persons of the city and train them to perform yoga asanas under the guidance of trainers. Special yoga training sessions will be held for UT administration staff. Members of different yoga institutions will be given an orientation and training in yoga as per protocol next week.
The administration officials held a meeting with bank heads and told them that each branch should contribute for the day. While the administration is busy carrying out preparations for the day, the local BJP unit is also gearing up for the big day. President of local BJP unit Sanjay Tandon said, “We will be holding camps for the party workers and supporters and teaching them yoga asanas.”
The UT administration has decided to make the Sukhna Lake the second major venue for performing yoga. The venue for the main event is likely to be the Capitol Complex, however, it is yet to receive clearance from the PMO.
Booklets and DVDs containing yoga postures to be performed at the event have already been circulated among different yoga institutions. The booklet contains about 17 ‘asanas’ to be performed at the event, which will last around 45 minutes in the morning from 7am to 8 am.