india

Updated: Jun 22, 2020 21:46 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched “Fit India Movement” at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on National Sports Day on Thursday. The programme aims to encourage all citizens to inculcate a culture of fitness.

PM Modi urged people to make fitness a part of their daily routine and raise awareness about it. He said the launch of Fit India was a step towards a healthy India. “On this day a great sportsperson was born, Major Dhyan Chand. He amazed the world with his his fitness, stamina, and hockey stick,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi Modi said fitness has been an integral part of our culture. “A few decades back, a normal person would walk 8-10km in a day, do cycling or run. But physical activity has gone down with the advent of technology,” he said.

Watch: PM Modi launches ‘Fit India Movement’, says ‘it’s a step towards healthy India’

The Prime Minister also administered a fitness pledge in his address, inviting all Indians to join in.

The Fit India campaign is supported by several national sports icons including World Badminton champion PV Sindhu, sprinter Hima Das along with celebrated wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik.

“I am taking the pledge, are you guys ready to take the pledge,” PV Sindhu said, in a video released by Sports Authority of India on August 27, encouraging followers to take out some time everyday to keep fit.

The Prime Minister had announced the launch of the campaign during his monthly radio address, “Mann Ki Baat” on August 25 and said he wanted to see his listeners fit and make them “fitness conscious”. He had indicated that the fitness programme will have fixed goals.

Arrangements were made for wide viewing of the launch; University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked affiliated higher educational institutes to make arrangements for live viewing of the event by the students, faculty and staff

Institutes have also been instructed to prepare and implement an institutional fitness plan incorporating sports/exercises/physical activities for fitness, into the daily routine. UGC has also asked institutes to encourage every person to walk 10,000 steps on Thursday.

Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju says the Prime Minister’s initiative was receiving support from all sections of the society. “Tremendous supporters are coming from all sections of the society to participate in the #FitIndiaMovement to be launched by @narendramodi ji on 29th Aug at 10am. Chief Ministers, Corporates and many icons are taking amazing steps to make the programme a grand success.

Fit India Movement is the latest among several other initiatives by the Prime Minister to promote fitness and health. PM is a well known supporter of Yoga and has in the past attributed his fitness to regular yoga and breathing exercises.

Speaking about his fitness routine in a Google Hangout, the Prime Minsiter had said, “I am equally energetic from morning till night. I guess the secret behind it is yoga and [breathing exercises]. Whenever I feel tired, I just practice deep breathing and that refreshes me again.”

The Prime Minister had also accepted Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli’s fitness challenge in May 2018 as part of a social media campaign, #HumFitTohIndiaFit and posted a video a month later, of him stretching and doing several yoga poses.

“Here are moments from my morning exercises. Apart from Yoga, I walk on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or 5 elements of nature - Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Aakash. This is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating. I also practice breathing exercises. #HumFitTohIndiaFit,” Modi had tweeted in June in response to Virat Kohli’s challenge.