A Buddhist monk from Ladakh will receive the Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga for 2021. Bhikkhu Sanghasena from Leh is one of four recipients to receive the award this year.
The Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga is among the most coveted honours in yoga, the Union Ministry of Ayush said. The winners will be felicitated with a certificate, a trophy, and a cash award worth Rs 25 lakh each.
Bhikkhu Sanghasena won the award in the National Individual category, while Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues from Sao Paulo is the recipient in the International Individual category. The Divine Life Society from Rishikesh will receive the award in the National Organisation category and the British Wheel of Yoga from the United Kingdom will receive the award in the International Organisation category.
The awards were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the second International Day of Yoga celebrations in Chandigarh in 2016.
The award guidelines were developed by the ministry and employs a two-stage selection process — a screening committee (for preliminary evaluation) and evaluation committee (Jury for final evaluation) — to finalise the awardees in a transparent manner.
The screening committee, chaired by the Ayush secretary drew up a shortlist from the 120 applications. The jury, chaired by the Cabinet secretary, examined the screening committee’s recommendations and made its own analysis of the contributions of the shortlisted institutions and individuals.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said yoga had become a global festival with widespread acceptance of the ancient practice. “The acceptance of that amrit spirit of India which gave energy to India’s freedom struggle. That is why mass yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country,” Modi said.
Greeting people on the occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind said: “Yoga is India’s gift to humanity and it is a holistic approach to health and well-being, balancing mind, body and soul.”
The theme of this year’s celebrations is Yoga for Humanity.