New Delhi : In his latest Mann Ki Baat address, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of fitness in daily life and praised initiatives like the Fit India Carnival and International Yoga Day. While sharing India’s vision for a healthier world population, the PM mentioned, “The theme of Yoga Day 2025 has been kept as ‘Yoga for One Earth One Health’. That is, we wish to make the whole world healthy through yoga.”
Notably, the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), a premier institute under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, has been entrusted with the responsibility of organising activities to mark the International Day of Yoga (IDY) this year on a grand scale. The institute recently unveiled the 100-day countdown to IDY2025 during the Yogamahotsav event held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 13 March, 2025.
During the 120th episode of the popular radio program, the Prime Minister said, “Today along with fitness, the count also plays a big role. Count the number of steps taken in a day, count the number of calories eaten in a day, count the number of calories burnt… amidst all these counts, another countdown is about to begin. The countdown to the International Yoga Day. Now less than 100 days are left for Yoga Day. If you have not yet included yoga in your life, do it now… it is not too late yet. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated 10 years ago on the 21st of June, 2015. Now this day has taken the shape of a grand festival of yoga. This is such a priceless gift from India to humanity, which is going to be very useful for future generations.”
As the world gears up for International Yoga Day (IDY) 2025, the theme “Yoga for One Earth One Health” takes center stage and a wide range of activities revolving around it is being held. The 2025 theme highlights yoga’s role in promoting physical, mental, and environmental well-being, aligning with global calls for sustainability and unity. It builds on a decade of success since the United Nations recognized June 21 as International Day of Yoga, following India’s proposal in 2014.
During the Mann Ki Baat programme, the Prime Minister also stated, “It is a matter of pride for all of us that today the curiosity about our yoga and traditional medicine is rising, all over the world. A large number of youths are adopting yoga and Ayurveda as an excellent medium for wellness. For example, there is a South American country, Chile. Ayurveda is rapidly becoming popular there. Last year, during my visit to Brazil, I met the President of Chile. We had a lot of discussions about the popularity of Ayurveda.
While acknowledging the fast growing popularity of Ayush systems across the globe and the contribution of key stakeholders in this, the PM said, “I have come to know about a team named ‘Somos India’. In Spanish, it means – ‘We are India’. This team has been promoting yoga and Ayurveda for almost a decade. Their focus is on treatment as well as educational programs. They are also getting information related to yoga and Ayurveda translated into the Spanish language. If we talk about last year alone, about 9 thousand people participated in their myriad events and courses. I congratulate all the people associated with this team for their efforts.”
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also appealed to everyone to include Yoga into their routine and take pride in the country’s traditional wisdom for overall well being.
10 unique signature events to guide events to International Day of Yoga 2025
This year IDY activities will revolve around 10 unique signature events to mark the 11th edition of the global event, which makes it the most expansive and inclusive:
- ● Yoga Sangama – A synchronised Yoga demonstration at 10,000 locations, aiming for a world record.
- ● Yoga Bandhan – Global partnerships with 10 countries to host Yoga sessions at iconic landmarks.
- ● Yoga Parks– Development of 1,000 Yoga Parks for long-term community engagement.
- ● Yoga Samavesh – Special Yoga programs for Divyangjan, senior citizens, children, and marginalised groups.
- ● Yoga Prabhava – A decadal impact assessment on Yoga’s role in public health.
- ● Yoga Connect – A Virtual Global Yoga Summit featuring renowned Yoga experts and healthcare professionals.
- ● Harit Yoga – A sustainability-driven initiative combining Yoga with tree planting and clean-up drives.
- ● Yoga Unplugged– An event to attract young people to Yoga
- ● Yoga Maha Kumbh – A week-long festival across 10 locations, culminating in a central celebration led by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
- ● Samyogam – A 100-day initiative integrating Yoga with modern healthcare for holistic wellness.
Annexure
The International Day of Yoga (IDY) has become a global wellness movement, uniting millions across countries. Here’s a brief look at its key milestones:
- ● IDY 2015 – New Delhi: The first IDY at Rajpath saw 35,985 participants, setting two Guinness World Records.
- ● IDY 2016 – Chandigarh: 30,000+ participants gathered at Capitol Complex, including 150 Divyangjan performing Yoga Protocol for the first time. The Prime Minister emphasised Yoga’s role in treating ailments like diabetes.
- ● IDY 2017 – Lucknow: 51,000 participants joined at Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan, with Yoga highlighted as affordable ‘health insurance’.
- ● IDY 2018 – Dehradun: 50,000+ participants at Forest Research Institute, with the theme “Yoga for Public Health”. ISRO launched BHUVAN-YOGA and Yoga Locator apps.
- ● IDY 2019 – Ranchi: Focused on ‘Yoga for Heart Care’, with eco-friendly Yoga accessories benefiting Khadi artisans.
- ● IDY 2020 – Virtual: Amid the pandemic, 12.06 crore people joined online. The “My Life, My Yoga” contest attracted entries from 130 countries.
- ● IDY 2021 – Virtual: Themed “Yoga for Wellness”, reaching 496.1 million people globally. Iconic celebrations occurred at Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, and Tokyo Skytree.
- ● IDY 2022 – Mysuru: 15,000 participants at Mysore Palace, with a ‘Guardian Ring’ global Yoga relay and VR-powered digital exhibition.
- ● IDY 2023 – Jabalpur & UN HQ, New York: With 23.44 crore participants, this IDY set two Guinness World Records, including the most significant Yoga session (1.53 lakh participants in Surat). The ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’ covered 35,000 km.
- ● IDY 2024 – Srinagar: Held at SKICC, Srinagar, with 7,000 participants braving the rain. The ‘Yoga for Space’ initiative saw ISRO scientists join in. A Guinness World Record was set in Uttar Pradesh, with 25.93 lakh people pledging to Yoga. 24.53 crore global participants marked this as a historic celebration.