Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde had asked the schools across the state to observe the 21st of every month as yoga day. However, due to heavy pouring and exams, schools in Mumbai failed to organise yoga day on Wednesday .
While pointing out the time constrains, one school principal, Deepshika Srivastava said, "Exams are going on in the school, so how can the department ask us to suddenly hold yoga programmes?" The principal also added that students have yoga period on a regular basis.
What does the Education Ministry direct?
According to the circulation issued by the Education Ministry on June 8, schools in Mumbai shall observe yoga day not only on June 21st, International Yoga Day, but on the 21st of every month. The circulation also reads that yoga should be made year-long activity across the schools.
The subservient schools:
- Some schools practiced a few yoga moves (asanas) in the classrooms itself.
- "We made students do a few asanas in the classroom, it was not possible to use the school ground," said Sudha Nair, principal, Vile Parle Mahila Sangh School, as per Hindustan Times report.
- Few schools in Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Borivli, Kandivli and Bhiwandi performed yoga programmes organized by the Patanjali Yog Samiti.
- "We partnered with the schools and taught them exercises like pranayam and memory boosting techniques," said Jyotsna Desai, member of Baba Ramved's Patanjali Yog Samiti.
Ever since the United Nation declared July 21st as the International Yoga Day in 2015, the central government has asked the schools to made yoga a compulsory curriculum. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in August made yoga a compulsory curriculum for every school across the state.