The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organized a webinar to celebrate the sixth International Yoga Day.

With the chosen theme of B&WSSC ‘Say Yes to Yog and No to Rog’, the webinar was conducted in the august presence of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of living; Dr Hansaji Yogendra, Director, the Yoga Institute and Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Moderated by Monica Bahl, CEO, Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC), the webinar aimed at driving wider awareness regarding the benefits of yoga in improving physical fitness and mental agility and encourage more people to embrace yoga especially in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Apart from helping people understand the role of Yoga in overcoming anxiety and stress, the webinar also educated people about the various career opportunities available in the field of Yoga for youth. As a result of Skill India’s sustained efforts to help youth leverage various employment opportunities available in the field of yoga, over 96,196 candidates have been trained as yoga instructors and trainers across the country through different skilling initiatives under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), primarily Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Short Term Training (STT) & Special Projects. There are three specific courses for yoga – Yoga Instructor (NSQF 4), Yoga Trainer (level 5) and Senior Yoga Trainer (level 6), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said in a statement.

Some significant partners who helped the Ministry and the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC) reach this remarkable milestone are, Art of Living and Patanjali. The states with the highest number of skilled candidates are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, West Bengal. B&WSSC also has vocational education courses in Yoga for CBSE schools starting from class XI from academic year 2020-2021, B&WSSC’s Yoga job roles will also be available in all the Samagra Shiksha schools across all the states for its Higher Secondary Sections, it added.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of living, said “Yoga is not only about spirituality; It is a skill in itself and is in fact related to an industry. The significance of yoga has become all the more crucial in the current time as people across the globe are dealing with the various challenges posed by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. We all must embrace yoga at these trying times as it helps enhance our mental agility and vitality, making us a lot calmer and more composed. Yoga is not just a posture; yoga is a style of living.”