NEW DELHI: The lazy, potbellied policemen may soon become extinct as the Centre plans to make practising yoga compulsory for policemen, paramilitary personnel and defence staff across the country.Sripad Yesso Naik, minister of state with independent charge of AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga& naturopathy, unani , siddha and homoeopathy), said the government in January launched an ambitious exercise under which will all defence and police departments will gradually take to practicing yoga everyday over the next three to five years. The move is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on yoga promotion.“As part of preparations for grand celebrations of the International Yoga Day on June 21, we plan to ready at least 1,000-1,500 yoga trainers who will, in turn, train people across the country in yoga. We have decided to start with the police and paramilitary personnel, among other defence staff, to first undergo this training,” Naik tod ET. The country’s first minister for traditional medicine said all policemen should do yoga for at least half an hour every day.But why police and paramilitary? “Whether it is police officer or police constable, it is a question of their health, too. They perform duties day and night; through the medium of yoga, they can keep control on themselves (sic). The rising bellies (keep) increasing, why? This is because of improper lifestyles. If (their) lifestyle is changed, all (health-related) problems will go away,” Naik said.“We have already made yoga compulsory among some defence staff and B.Ed teachers; others like police and paramilitary personnel will follow,” he said. According to sources in home and AYUSH ministries, the Prime Minister’s Office is directly monitoring the preparations for the June 21 event.“The idea is to showcase the Indian practice of yoga across the world and, at the same time, increase awareness about it within the country,” a senior official from the AYUSH ministry said. “The plan is still being readied, but this won’t be just another well-publicised event, the fallout will see some permanent practices take root, particularly among government officials,” the official said.AYUSH and home ministry officials say they are banking on Delhi-based Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, a government-funded organisation under the AYUSH ministry, to prepare the required number of trainers.Ishwar Basavaraddi, director of the institute is upbeat about the prospects of this effort. “In the past, too, we have trained physical trainers in the defence forces. But we never knew if they ensured that the practice was taken up in their own organisations. This time, the home secretary himself inaugurated the diploma programme in yoga for physical trainers from seven paramilitaries in January. We have also been told that it has been included in the staff’s regular physical training, so it will be taken up much more seriously this time,” he told ET.Minister Naik said the numbers of trainers will keep rising because yoga has to be promoted actively and there’s a shortage of qualified trainers. “Training is going on in full swing at the national centre for yoga. If police departments, for instance, ask for 10, 000 trainers, they will be provided,” he said.“Those who have done the diploma course from private institutions, they already have license to teach. But we are also aiming for standardisation of yoga training. So we will also gradually set up a board or council for certifying and standardising yoga training in the country,” Naik said.