PM Yoga Awards

Background

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 11^th December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution (resolution 69/131) proclaiming 21^st June as the International Day of Yoga (IDY).

Purpose of the Awards

Shri Narendra Modi, 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.

Description

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)". 21^st June has been declared as IDY, commonly referred to as Yoga Day, by the United Nations General Assembly.

Nomenclature of the Awards

In order to ensure that proponents who are making excellent contribution to Yoga are honoured, the Prime Minister of India, on the occasion of International Day of Yoga in 2016, had announced awards for promotion and development of Yoga.

- Prime Minister’s award for outstanding contribution towards promotion and development of Yoga at National Level (2 Nos)

- Prime Minister’s award for outstanding contribution towards promotion and development of Yoga at International Level (2 Nos)

The Award

The name of the winners will be announced on the 7^th International Day of Yoga (21^st June 2021)
The winners will be felicitated by means of a Trophy, Certificate and a Cash Award
The value of each Cash Award would be Rs. 25 lakh
In-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 mentioned in Eligibility section of these guidelines.

The applications / nominations can be submitted through https://innovateindia.mygov.in/pm-yoga-awards

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 contribution towards the promotion and development of Yoga.

In this regard, the applicants/nominees for these awards should have a rich experience in and deep understanding 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 Ministry of AYUSH.

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.

Evaluation Committee (Jury)

The Evaluation Committee (Jury) shall comprise of 7 members including a Chairperson. The Jury shall have eminent personalities from different walks of life, which shall be nominated by 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
Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minster	- Member
Foreign Secretary	- Member
Secretary, AYUSH	- Member secretary

Three non-officials may be nominated as members of this committee by the Hon'ble Prime Minister.

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 finalizing 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 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 last date for submission of entries shall be 30^th April, 2021 and 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does "Yourself (Individual/Organisation)" and "Nominating Others (Individual/Organisation)" mean in the "Participate As" section?

An applicant can nominate herself/himself and fill out the application, or she/he can choose to nominate someone else and fill the application on her/his behalf.
If you are nominating yourself and filling out the application, then you should select "Yourself (Individual/Organisation)" as the option.
If you are nominating someone else and filling out the application on her/his behalf, then you should select "Nominating Others (Individual/Organisation)".

2. What do the two award categories mean and which one should I select?

If you are an Indian resident or an organisation functioning in India (which may have centres outside India), then you must submit the application in the "National Category" only.
Individuals or Organisations based or functioning outside India must submit their applications under the "International Category".
Those who are "Nominating Others (Individual/Organisation)" must ensure to choose the correct category depending on the demographic functioning of the applicant.

3. What should I write in the "Accomplishments" section?

Under this, the applicant/nominator may give a write-up about various awards or recognitions received, along with a brief description about the work undertaken for which the award or recognition was bestowed upon her/him. The participants should also mention the sponsor organization or the individual which/who provided the award, and other details as available, such as the website/competition link, public resource acknowledging their contribution/award etc.

4. What should I write in the "Research Papers Published and Presented" section?

Applicant/nominator should share the research paper title, year of publication and brief description about the research paper, along with the link of website where the research paper is published. The research papers should have been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

5. What should I write in the "Books Published" section?

Applicant/nominator should share the book title, year of publication and brief description about the book, along with the link of website where the book is published, in addition to information about the publisher.

6. What should I write in the "Other Accomplishments" section?

A brief write-up (up to 100 words) may be submitted in order to give details regarding other accomplishments in the field of Yoga hich are not included or already mentioned in the other sections in the form.

7. What should I write in the "Applicant's Expertise of Yoga" section?

A brief write-up (up to 100 words) may be submitted in order to give details regarding the level of expertise in the field of Yoga.This can include any formal education, certifications, number of students taught, number of years in Yoga, details of current employment if working as a Yoga professional, etc.

8. What should I write in the "Reason for Nomination" section?

A write-up (up to 800 words) on the reason for nomination (self/others) for this prestigious award should be provided in this section. In this, the applicant/nominator may highlight the exemplary work done in past for promotion and development of Yoga, and the impact it has had on the field.

9. What should I attach in the "Recommendation" section?

Recommendation should be in form of a letter from the person of stature on her/his letter head with the details of the accomplishments made by the applicant (Individual/Organisation) in the field of Yoga.

Prime Minister's Awards for Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga at National & International Levels