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Yoga is humanity's 'pause button' in times of crisis, says PM Modi
'In many parts of the world today, we are witnessing growing instability and conflict. In such times, yoga provides a direction of peace and harmony,' he said. 'Let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where inner peace becomes a cornerstone of global policy.'
Highlighting the message of this year's theme—Yoga for One Earth, One Health—the prime minister stressed that human health is intrinsically linked to the well-being of the environment. 'Our health depends on the soil that grows our food, the rivers that quench our thirst, the animals that share our ecosystems, and the plants that nourish us,' he said.
'From me to we': Yoga as a philosophy for unity
PM Narendra Modi described yoga not only as a tool for individual well-being but also as a shared path that connects people across cultures and communities. 'Yoga is a great personal discipline, but it is also a philosophy that moves us from 'Me to We'. It awakens our sense of interconnectedness and leads us towards oneness with the world,' he said.
Recalling the United Nations' adoption of June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2014, PM Modi noted that 175 countries had supported the proposal—a testament to yoga's universal appeal. 'Today, whether at the Sydney Opera House, atop Mount Everest, or across vast oceans, the world is echoing one message: yoga is for everyone.'
He urged people across the globe to embrace the ancient practice not just as a form of exercise, but as a way to cultivate inner balance and a deeper connection to the world around them.
Andhra CM hails Yoga Day as record-breaking success
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the International Day of Yoga celebrations in Visakhapatnam, praised the Prime Minister for transforming yoga into a global wellness movement. He noted that Yoga Day is now observed in over 175 countries and called for its inclusion in international sporting events such as the Asian Games and the Olympics.
Prime Minister Modi, in turn, lauded the Andhra Pradesh leadership—Chief Minister Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Minister Nara Lokesh—for their efforts in advancing yoga through the state's 'Yogandhra' initiative.
Later, speaking to the media, Naidu called the event a 'grand success' and announced that the state had set two Guinness World Records. According to him, around 303,000 people participated in a single-location yoga session at RK Beach, with the final count pending confirmation from Guinness World Records officials.
He also highlighted another record attempt: over 22,000 tribal students performed 108 Surya Namaskars in 108 minutes at a single venue. 'We have created history. This is a super hit,' Naidu said.
The Chief Minister further revealed that while the state had anticipated 20 million registrations for Yoga Day, the number surged to 24.5 million participants across Andhra Pradesh.
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- India Gazette
Union Minister L Murugan launches several healthcare initiatives at ESIC Medical College in Chennai
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Business Standard
15 hours ago
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Are generic medicines as good as branded ones? Here's what you should know
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The Hindu
16 hours ago
- The Hindu
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Amid widespread destruction caused by incessant rains and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday announced a series of relief measures, including ₹5,000 per month as rental assistance for families displaced by the natural calamity. Addressing the media in Shimla after a high-level review meeting with the deputy speaker and other ministers, the Himachal CM stated that the State is facing 'disaster like a war'. Between June 26 and July 2, the district of Mandi received 482% more rainfall than average, as shown in the map graphic above. Search and rescue operations are underway with drones and sniffer dogs being used to trace 30 people who went missing after cloudbursts, flash floods and landslips wreaked havoc in the Thunag, Gohar and Karsog subdivisions of Mandi district last week, officials said on Monday (July 7, 2025). About 250 personnel from the National and State Disaster Response Forces, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Home Guards, along with the administration and locals, are undertaking the search and rescue work. Besides, 20 teams are gathering information and distributing ration and medical kits in inaccessible areas, officials said. (5) Dalai Lama turns 90 after week of celebrations The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, turned 90 on Sunday (July 6, 2025) after a week of celebrations by followers during which he riled China again and spoke about his hope to live beyond 130 and reincarnate after dying. The Nobel laureate is regarded as one of the world's most influential religious leaders, with a following that extends well beyond Buddhism, but not by Beijing which calls him a separatist and has sought to bring the faith under its control. Fleeing his native Tibet in 1959 in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the 14th Dalai Lama along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans took shelter in India and has since advocated for a peaceful 'Middle Way' to seek autonomy and religious freedom for the Tibetan people. Thousands of followers from around the world, celebrities, and officials from the United States and India, will attend his birthday celebrations in Dharamshala, the small Indian town in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Dalai Lama lives. In a birthday message on his website on Sunday (July 6, 2025), the Dalai Lama said he was 'just a simple Buddhist monk' and that he will continue to focus on his commitments of promoting human values and religious harmony.
