Maharashtra school education minister says students will be given extra marks for practising yoga

Updated on: Monday, January 25, 2016

yoga A circular has been issued to the schools in Maharashtra regarding a yoga camp, asking students and teachers to attend the same and make the most of it. Also, state school education minister Vinod Tawde said that students will be given extra marks for practising yoga. Although it is not mandatory for students or teachers to attend it, but doing the same will be beneficial for them only.

According to newspaper reports, it was after attending a yoga workshop by Baba Ramdev on Wednesday, that Tawde tweeted: "Urged students to benefit from yoga, students practicing yoga everyday will be awarded extra marks like of sports." But reports have surfaced that teachers are not happy with the notice issued. Most of them feel that it is okay to encourage students to perform yoga due to its advantages, but once marks are attached to an activity, some might misuse it. Students are forging certificates to attain the additional marks given for playing sports.

This is not the first time that the minister has openly promoted yoga. In June, last year, he had asked for yoga to be included in school curriculum as a compulsory subject and urged everyone to practice yoga. This raked up a huge controversy, with Muslim outfits strongly protesting against the idea.

He also performed yoga with students at Dixit School, a civic school in Vile Parle on the eve of International Yoga Day, and announced that he would soon try and incorporate yoga in the school syllabus. Also, states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have already introduced yoga in their schools from last year.

Maharashtra school education minister says students will be given extra marks for practising yoga

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