Tamil Nadu's education minister Thiru Sengottaiyan said on Thursday that yoga will be made compulsory in all schools in the state, CNN-News18 reported.

Tamil Nadu education minister Thiru Sengottaiyan on Thursday said that yoga will be made compulsory in all schools in the state, CNN-News18 reported.

Tamil Nadu Education Minister says yoga will be compulsory in all schools in Tamil Nadu (File Photo) pic.twitter.com/gUVZhKi7Q1 — News18 (@CNNnews18) June 15, 2017

"The government is holding discussions with yoga experts, as students do not only need education, but extra-curricular activities like yoga as well," the minister had earlier said. His statement comes just days ahead of the International Yoga Day which is on 21 June.

According to the Union minister for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) Shripad Yesso Naik, all schools and state governments have been asked to observe yoga day. "It is not mandatory for schools to observe yoga day. I hope, all schools across the country will observe the day," he said.

However, the Tamil Nadu government is planning to make it compulsory for all schools to observe yoga day on 21 June.

The state education department had earlier initiated yoga classes for government and government-aided school students for a week, according to this The Hindu report.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also directed the Uttar Pradesh officials to introduce a yoga education programme in government schools, which will soon be made compulsory.

"People try to create confusion, but yoga does not belong to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians...(the aim) should be that the body is healthy. What is wrong if school children practice yoga?” Dinesh Sharma, deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said.

With inputs from PTI