MP schools asked to hold Surya Namaskar

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has directed all educational institutions in the state to hold Surya Namaskar and Pranayam sessions on January 12, to mark the birth anniversary of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda. 

However, it also made it clear that participation in the Surya Namaskar or sun salutations would not be mandatory. "Surya Namaskar and Pranayam will be performed in all academic institutions from 9 am tomorrow," a government press release said.

A state-level Surya Namaskar programme will be organised at the Lal Parade ground here in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his cabinet colleagues Vijay Shah and Deepak Joshi. 

Students from schools in Bhopal would participate in the program, the release said. Following the controversies associated with such events on earlier occasions, the state government clarified that the participation would be voluntary.