INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2025: HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENT OF INDIA AS A SOFT POWER IN THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2025 – NEWS IN SHORT: Every year international yoga day is celebrated on June 21st. The main theme of this year’s 11th International Day of Yoga, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” reflects the crucial reality that individual well-being and global health are inseparable.

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2025: Historical Background

Yoga has been practised for more than 5,000 years and is rooted in Indian spiritual traditions. Yoga represents the integration of body, mind, and spirit and is derived from the Sanskrit word “Yuj,” which means union.

Yoga is mentioned as a way to achieve inner calm and spiritual enlightenment in ancient scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Rigveda, and the Upanishads. Around 200 BCE, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras were assembled, further organising yoga into an eightfold path and establishing it as a discipline.

In his speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally introduced the concept of International Yoga Day. He emphasized yoga’s significance in fostering harmony and comprehensive health, calling it “an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition.”

The resolution was co-sponsored by 177 member nations, demonstrating the proposal’s extraordinary international support. Thus, in December 2014, the United Nations designated June 21—the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice—as the International Day of Yoga. June 21, 2015, was the date of the first observance.

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2025 THEME

The main theme of this year’s 11th International Day of Yoga, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” reflects the crucial reality that individual well-being and global health are inseparable.

IMPORTANCE OF YOGA IN CONTEXT OF INDIA

The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, and partnerships with WHO to create international standards for yoga instruction are just a few of the noteworthy institutional measures India has taken to promote yoga.

India views International Yoga Day as a reaffirmation of its civilizational identity and a strategic soft power initiative.

By portraying yoga as a mental and spiritual discipline for world peace rather than just a physical workout, it represents India’s leadership in worldwide health and wellness.

In keeping with its larger geopolitical concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), the day enhances India’s cultural diplomacy.

HOW INDIA IS LEADING AS SOFT POWER GLOBALLY

Yoga provides a preventive and therapeutic option in light of the global rise in mental health issues, lifestyle problems, and stress-related illnesses. Millions of people worldwide, spanning age, culture, and religion, practice yoga today, from New York to Nairobi.

In line with a number of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, it encourages sustainable well-being and supplements traditional treatment.

Conclusively, India is a global leader in spiritual understanding and wellbeing, and International Yoga Day is more than just a symbolic occasion. Future administrators must acknowledge the cultural, diplomatic, and public health importance of yoga in order to promote both international collaboration and national pride.

Special Tips for UPSC CSE Aspirants Following This Article-
Understanding International Yoga Day is crucial for aspiring civil servants in several sections of the UPSC curriculum:

GS Paper I (Culture)- Yoga as a component of India’s intangible cultural heritage.

GS Paper II (International Relations)- India’s use of soft power and worldwide outreach.

GS Paper III (Health): Yoga’s role in wellbeing and preventative healthcare.

GS Paper IV (Ethics): The principles that are significant to civil servants are in keeping with yoga’s emphasis on self-control, discipline, and holistic ethics.

The content can also be used widely in essays also.

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