International Day of Yoga
Why in News?
The International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026 is in the news because the world celebrated its 12th edition on Sunday, 21 June 2026.
Important Point
- PM Modi in Kolkata: India's primary national celebration shifted to West Bengal Kolkata's historic Red Road, where Prime Minister Modi performed the Common Yoga Protocol along with thousands of practitioners.
- New Guinness World Record: A special nationwide live countdown session on 14 June 2026 saw more than 4,00,000 people joining simultaneously, setting a world record.
- Massive Global Footprint: Celebrations scaled up significantly with events organized across 2,500 locations globally spanning over 210 Indian Missions and posts.
Theme & Focus
- Official Theme: The theme for IDY 2026 is "Yoga for Healthy Ageing".
- Alignment with WHO: The theme directly supports the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO) Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030).
- Target Objective: It focuses on active living, promoting physical vitality, reducing fall risks, safeguarding cognitive health, and enhancing the quality of life for the elderly.
Key Initiatives & Special Events in 2026
- Yoga Sangam Portal: The Ministry of Ayush relaunched the Yoga Sangam Portal to manage decentralized mass yoga demonstrations across the nation.
- Yoga Park Portal: Launched by the Indian government to support developing dedicated, permanent yoga infrastructure across states and institutions.
- Iconic Heritage Sites: The Ministry of Culture held specialized events at 100 iconic heritage sites across India, including the Red Fort, Konark, Hampi, and Mahabalipuram.
- UN Headquarters Event: The Permanent Mission of India to the UN hosted a flagship event on June 18, 2026, at the North Lawn Area of the UN Headquarters in New York.
- Yoga 365 Campaign: A massive year-round outreach project that provided free yoga training to over two lakh individuals, granting them Yog Mitra certifications.
Historical Background
- The Origin: Prime Minister Narendra Modi first proposed the idea during his speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2014.
- UN Proclamation: On 11 December 2014, the UNGA officially designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga through a resolution co-sponsored by a record 175 member nations.
- First Observance: The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated worldwide on 21 June 2015.
- Why June 21? The date marks the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and holds immense spiritual and cultural importance across various civilisations.
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