Sat Jun 21 09:20:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**UPSC Celebrates International Yoga Day, Chairman Urges Daily Practice for Holistic Health**
**New Delhi, India** – The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) headquarters in New Delhi transformed into a haven of tranquility as it celebrated the 11th International Yoga Day. Over 300 volunteers, officers, and staff members gathered on the lawns to participate in a yoga session led by UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar.
Dr. Kumar, along with UPSC Members Shri Sanjay Verma, Ms. Anuradha Prasad, Shri Bidyut Behari Swain, and Secretary Shri Shashi Ranjan Kumar, demonstrated various asanas, encouraging participants to embrace yoga as a daily practice for a healthy body and mind.
“Yoga is an integral part of a healthy body and mind,” Dr. Kumar stated, praising the participants as “winners” for embracing India’s gift to the world. He highlighted the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the world is one family – as being deeply rooted in the practice of yoga.
Sharing his personal experience, Dr. Kumar, a marathon runner, said, “One hour of Yoga rejuvenates both body and mind—it brings a resurgence of energy and clarity. Yoga has been life-changing.”
He emphasized that yoga is not just a physical activity but a holistic tool to counter lifestyle and metabolic disorders, especially as we age. He further said that with consistent practice, yoga can be a powerful preventive and healing practice for modern-day challenges such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and stress-related ailments.
Dr. Kumar also acknowledged Prime Minister’s efforts in 2014 in proposing June 21 as International Yoga Day at the United Nations General Assembly, noting the paradigm shift in how yoga was perceived globally. He urged attendees to reclaim and celebrate India’s heritage with pride, emphasizing that International Yoga Day should be the beginning of a journey towards health, self-discipline, and inner positivity, rather than just a one-day celebration.
The event concluded with a lecture by Ms. Indu Sharma from Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, on the theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” highlighting the harmony between humanity and nature.
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