Entire credit goes to PM Modi for taking it to the UN: ICCR chief on Yoga's global rise

New Delhi, June 20: As the world prepares to celebrate International Day of Yoga, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Director General K Nandini Singla has hailed Yoga's transformation from an ancient Indian tradition to a global wellness movement. She credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for its international recognition and called it one of India's greatest cultural diplomacy achievements.

Speaking to ANI, Singla said, "I think Yoga has been the biggest success story in our cultural diplomacy so far. I think it's one of those elements of ancient Indian traditional knowledge that has become a truly global brand today. It is no longer just India's Yoga; it has become a global wellness movement. The entire credit for this goes to PM Narendra Modi because he took it to the United Nations. It was his visionary leadership that made June 21, International Day of Yoga -- with the result that every country in the world now observes International Day of Yoga every year on June 21. I think this has been a key factor in the growing popularity of Yoga."

She also highlighted the role played by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and ICCR in promoting Yoga globally since the UNGA recognition in 2014.

Commenting on this year's theme -- 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', Singla said that it reflects the true essence of Yoga, which goes beyond physical exercise to focus on inner peace and holistic health.

"Yoga for One Earth, One Health' is the theme for this year's International Day of Yoga. I think it's an excellent theme because Yoga is not just about 'asanas', making your body more flexible, it's about discovering the stillness within, connecting with your breath and finding inner peace. Today, all doctors and scientists in the world are saying that your health is very closely connected to how peaceful you are on the inside, and how calm your nervous system is. Because we are a whole, we are energy, we are 'prana', and we in India know this. But today, the whole world is discovering the mind-body connection," she said.

She added that preparations for International Day of Yoga began months ago, with Indian missions and cultural centers around the world hosting events in the run-up to June 21.

"Preparations started six months ago because we do a 100-day countdown, 75-day countdown, 50-day countdown, 25-day countdown and finally the International Day of Yoga on 21st June. So, more than 200 Indian Embassies all over the world have already been doing Yoga events for more than 100 days. A number of events have already happened, and the biggest one will happen on 21st June. So, we have been very busy. All the funding for these events, monetary support, comes from ICCR. So, we draw up a budget plan and allocate funds to embassies, consulates, and cultural centres. So, that work began quite a few months ago," she said.

This year, PM Modi will lead the national celebrations from Visakhapatnam, where he will participate in the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) session at the city's beachfront. Nearly 5 lakh participants are expected to join him in the mass yoga demonstration.

Simultaneously, Yoga Sangam events will be held at over 3.5 lakh locations across India, making this one of the largest coordinated Yoga celebrations.

In addition, citizen engagement initiatives like 'Yoga with Family' and youth-focused campaigns under 'Yoga Unplugged' have been launched on digital platforms such as MyGov and MyBharat to promote participation and awareness.

According to the release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the 2025 theme -- "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" -- highlights the interconnectedness of human and planetary health and echoes the global vision of collective wellness, rooted in India's philosophy of "Sarve Santu Niramaya" (May all be free from disease).

Since 2015, when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted India's proposal to observe 21st June as IDY, the Prime Minister has led the celebrations from various locations, including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mysuru, New York (UN Headquarters), and Srinagar. IDY has since evolved into a powerful global health movement.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

While PM Modi deserves credit for Yoga's UN recognition, let's not forget the generations of gurus who preserved this knowledge for centuries. The government's role is important, but Yoga's essence belongs to India's spiritual heritage, not any single leader. 🙏

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Priya M.

Yoga Day has become India's soft power superpower! 🇮🇳 So proud to see people from Tokyo to Toronto doing surya namaskar because of our PM's efforts. The world is finally understanding what we Indians knew all along - yoga is not just exercise, it's a way of life!

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Arjun S.

The theme 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' is so relevant today with climate change and mental health crises. But I hope the government also focuses on making yoga accessible in rural areas, not just grand events. Many villages still lack basic yoga teachers.

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Sunita P.

As someone who teaches yoga abroad, I've seen firsthand how India's image has changed since 2015. Foreigners now associate us with wellness rather than just poverty or Bollywood. But we must ensure commercialization doesn't dilute yoga's spiritual roots. #ProudIndian

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Vikram J.

The scale of celebrations is impressive, but I wonder about the costs. Wouldn't some of these funds be better spent on training more yoga teachers or research on yoga's medical benefits? We need substance along with spectacle.

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Neha T.

My German colleague asked me yesterday why 21st June was chosen for Yoga Day. Felt so proud explaining it's the summer solstice - the first day of Dakshinayana in our tradition. PM Modi ji chose the perfect date that connects science and spirituality! 🌞

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.