According to an earlier TOI report, the state education minister Madan Dilawar has said that Surya Namaskar will initially be mandatory during morning prayers/assembly at all schools till February 15, after which further decision will be taken.A notice doing the rounds on social media stated, “All CDEOs should ensure that the physical teachers working in the schools of their jurisdiction get trained by skilled trainers having knowledge of Surya Namaskar.”
The notice elaborates on how sunlight is beneficial for this “The Sun is the largest source of light and energy on Earth. Sun rays not only give life its energy, but they also provide numerous health benefits. Just as sunlight is an important source of Vitamin D, solar energy is currently used to generate some alternative energy.” Check the official notice below-
The notice further states that initially, yoga instructors will train both teachers and students. On February 15, the campaign will expand to include students‘ parents, villagers, and public representatives.
The education department has also directed officials to record information about students, teachers, parents, local public representatives, and the general public who participate in Surya Namaskar on the Shala Darpan portal at 2PM on the same day. This information will be submitted for consideration as a world record, based purely on the number of participants that day.
The directive specifies the need for separate sessions for boys and girls in schools, emphasising the importance of first assessing students’ health and age.
“A student should practice Surya Namaskars every day after the morning prayers as we are able to do everything only due to sunlight. There will be a big program on Surya Saptami to motivate people to exercise,” Dilawar said, according to the TOI report.
“Bhamashah and social workers will participate, representing a variety of sectors such as social, religious, political, rural, and others. The goal is to make this programme the largest in the country, with the most people performing Sun Salutations together,” Dilawar further added.
Earlier this year, Gujarat set the Guinness World Record for achieving the highest number of participants- 50,000 people collectively performing Surya Namaskar at 108 different locations.