Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. The word "Yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning "to join", "to yoke" or "to unite", symbolizing the unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between human and nature, and a holistic approach to health and well-being. Yoga is known for disease prevention, health promotion and management of many life style related disorders. Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11th December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution (resolution 69/131) proclaiming 21ST June as the International Day of Yoga (IDY).
Purpose of the Awards
The Hon’ble Prime Minister, on the second International Day of Yoga announced two Yoga awards – one International and other National – to be given on the occasion of International Day of Yoga. The purpose of the Award is to recognize and felicitate individual(s)/ organization(s) who have made significant impact on the society for a sustained period of time by way of promotion and development of Yoga.
About the Awards
The awards are being proposed to be given each year for exemplary contribution in the field of Yoga towards the development and promotion of Yoga. It has been proposed that the contribution be recognized both at the National as well as International levels. The award would be given annually on the occasion of “International Day of Yoga (IDY)” (21st June). 21st June has been declared as IDY, commonly referred to as Yoga Day, by the United Nations General Assembly. The nomination of these awards is being hosting in collaboration with MyGov.
Categories
The awards would be given to entities with an impeccable track record and outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of Yoga. In a particular year, the Jury may decide to give awards to one or more individuals/organizations or none. An entity which has received an award once may not be considered again for conferring an award in the same category. The awards will be given under the following categories:
National Individual
National Organization
International Individual
International Organization
National: The two National Awards will be given to entities of Indian origin, for their contribution to the promotion and development of Yoga.
International: The two International Awards will be given to entities of Indian or foreign origin, for their contribution to the promotion and development of Yoga across the Globe.
The Award
The name of the winners will be announced on the 11th International Day of Yoga (21st June 2025)
The winners will be felicitated by means of a Trophy, Certificate and a Cash Award
The felicitation ceremony will coincide with the International Yoga Conference.
The value of each Cash Award would be Rs. 25 lakh
In the case of joint winners, the awards would be divided amongst the winners
Procedure for Applying
An application, complete in all respects, can be made by the applicant directly or they may be nominated by a prominent yoga organization for consideration under this Award process.
The application is open to all entities that meet the eligibility criteria. The applications/ nominations can be submitted through (MyGov platform only). Link for the same shall also be available on Ministry of Ayush’s website and other autonomous bodies of Ministry of Ayush.
An applicant can nominate/ can be nominated for only one award category that is either the National Award or the International Award, in a particular year.
Eligibility
The intent of the awards is to recognize entities who have made significant and outstanding contributions toward the promotion and development of Yoga.
In this regard, the applicants/nominees for these awards should have a rich experience in and a deep understanding of Yoga.
The minimum eligible age of the applicant/nominee under the individual category for both National & International is 40 years.
Minimum 20 (Twenty) years of service with an impeccable track record and outstanding contribution to the promotion and development of Yoga.
Screening Committee
A screening of all the applications/ nominations received will be done by a Screening Committee which shall be constituted every year by the Ministry of Ayush. The Screening Committee shall comprise 4 members including a Chairperson.
The Screening Committee shall consider all applications/ nominations that are received by the Ministry
The Screening Committee shall recommend a maximum of 50 names for each of the Awards – National & International.
The Screening Committee shall consist of 3 official members as follows:
Secretary Ayush - Chairman
Director, CCRYN - Member
Director, MDNIY - Member
One non-official may be nominated as a member of this committee by Secretary Ayush.
Evaluation Committee (Jury)
The Evaluation Committee (Jury) shall comprise 7 members including a Chairperson. The Jury shall have eminent personalities from different walks of life, which shall be nominated by the Ministry of Ayush every year. The Jury will consider the names suggested by the Screening Committee. It may also nominate suitable candidates on its own.
The Evaluation Committee (Jury) shall consist of 4 official members as follows:
Cabinet Secretary
- Chairman
Advisor to Prime Minister
- Member
Foreign Secretary
- Member
Secretary, Ayush
- Member secretary
Three non-officials may be nominated as members of this committee by the Cabinet Secretary.
Evaluation criteria
Contribution to the body of knowledge.
Contribution to the promotion of Yoga among the masses as a means for mental, physical and spiritual health.
Impact on the society by way of strengthening ethical and spiritual values
Evaluation Guidelines
The Jury would be the apex decision-making body for both the categories of awards.
The Jury has the right to nominate any applicant.
While evaluation, the duration for which an applicant has demonstrated the aforementioned parameters would be a key criteria.
Any jury member will be ineligible to serve on a Jury if his/her close relative is being associated with a particular applicant and the jury member will have the right to recuse himself/herself from the process.
The jury members shall maintain strict confidentiality regarding the deliberations of the meetings.
The jury members will be given a copy of the eligibility documents submitted by the applicant(s).
All Jury meetings will be held at New Delhi.
Each meeting of the jury will be recorded and the minutes will be signed by all the jury members.
In the event of a jury member not being able to attend the meeting, he/she can convey his choice in writing.
The Chairperson of the Jury may seek advice of experts in specialized areas, whenever necessary.
The decision of the jury shall be final and binding and no appeal or correspondence regarding their decision shall be entertained.
The Jury may decide its own procedure for finalising the awards every year
General Terms and Conditions
An Applicant will be disqualified for life if it is found that they are influencing any member of the jury by way of writing letters, sending emails, making telephone calls, approaching in person or any other similar activity in this regard. This disqualification would entail that the work of such disqualified persons would not be eligible for consideration of these awards.
An Applicant can also be disqualified for a period of three years if any information provided by the Applicant is found to be incorrect, wrong or false in any manner.
Information provided by the Applicant will be deemed confidential and only used for the purposes of determining their eligibility.
While furnishing specific information in the entry form, the organization should ensure that the complete postal address, email address, telephone number, mobile phone number and fax number (if any) are duly filled.
The Ministry may seek clarifications on the documents submitted.
The Ministry reserves the right to reject any entries received after the last date of submission.
Grievances, if any, shall be addressed by the Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, whose decision in the matter shall be final and binding.
Disclaimer
Please exercise great care in filling this form. Details entered against each column in the application would be deemed to be final for the purpose of determination of Awards. No request for change of details would be entertained at any stage.
Documentary evidence should be provided for age, any awards and recognition, research papers published and presented, books published and presented, and any other claims made by the applicant.
Recommendation can be done by an individual or organisation on their letterheads. The duly stamped and signed recommendation letter with clear mention of a category of award-nominated may be uploaded on the portal. The Nominator can also get other organisations to support their nomination.
