The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is student-centric and will aid holistic development, said Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, highlighting the role of the policy.

He was speaking during the valedictory function of the National Yoga Olympiad held at the Regional Institute of Education in Mysuru, Karnataka, on Thursday, June 20, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

Speaking on the occasion, Kumar mentioned, “The NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) has revised the curriculum, incorporating new subjects. The revised syllabus includes lessons that instill pride in Indian culture and knowledge, altering our perspective towards the world. Extracurricular activities, including yoga, have been given prominence.”

He further emphasised, “Participants of the Olympiad have become ambassadors of yoga globally. Those trained in yoga have the opportunity to train others and find self-employment in this field,” he said.

He said that according to a report, the yoga market would reach 66.2 billion US dollars by 2027 and is registering a growth of 10% every year. “Those educated in yoga have the responsibility to contribute to building a better societ,” he said.

Kumar also stressed the importance of daily yoga practice for individual well-being and social harmony, saying, “Yoga has become an integral part of school education, uniting everyone. The goal is for every student to pursue higher education.”

In the National Yoga Olympiad that concluded on June 20 at the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), a team of girls under 16 from the state won a bronze medal.

The team, comprising KV Srushti (MRB School, Harihar), M Sandhya (Government Model Primary School, Nayandahalli, Bengaluru), TR Kalleshwari (Indira Gandhi Residential School, Harihar), and R Anusha (Rajeshwari Vidyashala, Kenchanahalli, Bengaluru), secured the third position with 1,027 points.