Petition to formulate national yoga policy and develop and broadcast COVID yoga protocols

A petition has been instituted in the Apex Court by Mr. Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a senior BJP leader, seeking directions upon the Ministry of AYUSH and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the Government of India, to develop and broadcast “COVID Yoga Protocols”.Additionally, seeking a course upon the AYUSH ministry to frame a National Yoga Policy.

The PIL filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, sought guidance from the ministries with a view to spread awareness amongst the public about standard and customized Yoga protocols which have various health benefits such as increasing cardiovascular endurance and blood circulation and improving the ability to prevent common health problems and diseases such as, diabetes, fever and infections, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tumours, digestive diseases, fever and infections, etc. The petition highlighted numerous other physical, mental and spiritual benefits of performing Yoga.

While citing Article 21 read with Articles 39, 41, 46, 47 and 51A of the Indian Constitution which confers a duty on the State to improve health of citizens and provide information, instructions, training and supervision in that regard, the PIL emphasized on the need to develop a Standard Yoga protocol by AYUSH Ministry to improve resistance to COVID-19 among people, since no vaccine has been discovered till date.

Also, it was contained in the petition that the Right to health under Article 21 has been infringed since the Union Ministries have failed to undertake adequate measures to promote and propagate Yoga Science in order to make people fully aware about health-hazards, health hygiene and health safety.

The Petitioner also urges the Government to frame a 'National Yoga Policy' in order to promote and spread awareness about the Science of Yoga and risks to health and hygiene which are controlled by Yoga.

There has been an extensive discussion on the importance of Yoga as a basis of health and physical education.National Curriculum Framework, 2005 specifically emphasises on introduction of Yoga as a compulsory subject at the primary and secondary levels, and as an optional subject at the senior secondary level.

“NCERT should provide standard textbooks of ‘Environment, Health & Yoga Science’ and MHRD should take appropriate steps to make it compulsory for all the students aged 6-14 years throughout the country.” the petition mentioned.

While praying for the implementation of National Curriculum Framework, 2005 uniformly throughout the country, the use of projectors and smart boards for providing yoga training to teachers and students in primary classes was also suggested.