(HT)
The Uttarakhand cabinet on Wednesday approved the Uttarakhand Yoga Policy, 2025 – the first yoga specific policy by any state — to make Uttarakhand a global hub for yoga and wellness.
Under the policy, the state government will promote yoga tourism to establish Uttarakhand as an international centre of yoga and spirituality. Rules and guidelines will be formulated for yoga institutes to ensure quality. Yoga will be taken to the masses through awareness programmes and it will be included in the curriculum of schools and colleges in the state.
Home secretary Shailesh Bagauli shared details of the decisions after the cabinet meeting.
Capacity building in the field of yoga will be undertaken through collaborations with national and international institutions, while the establishment of world-class yoga centers will be promoted. The state government has also fixed some specific goals under the policy.
These include establishment of five new yoga hubs by 2030, inclusion of yoga services in all Ayush health and wellness centres by March 2026. The policy envisions the launch of community-focused mindfulness initiatives to cater to the unique needs of people across various age groups, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Apart from this, 100% registration of yoga institutes will be ensured, a special online yoga platform will be launched, promotional campaigns and international yoga conferences will be organized to promote yoga tourism.
A target has been fixed to develop partnerships with 15 to 20 national and international institutions by March 2028.
Under the policy, newly established and expanding centers will be given a grant of 50 percent of the project cost or up to a maximum of ₹ 20 lakh in hilly areas and 25 percent or up to a maximum of ₹ 10 lakh in plain areas. The total annual grant limit will be up to ₹ 5 crore.
A grant of up to ₹10 lakh per project will be given to encourage research in the field of yoga, meditation and naturopathy. This facility will be for universities, research institutes, health organizations, Ayush institutions and NGOs.
Overall, an amount of up to ₹1 crore has been set aside for research under the policy.
If yoga centers are set up within existing homestays, resorts, hotels, schools, colleges, and similar institutions across the state, the government will reimburse up to ₹250 per session for the yoga instructor employed.
Each centre will be eligible for reimbursement of up to 20 sessions per month for one instructor.
Under the policy, the state government will establish a Directorate of Yoga and Naturopathy to monitor the operation, regulation, grant distribution and various other activities. The directorate will include a director, joint director, deputy director, yoga expert, registrar and other necessary staff.
The directorate will be responsible for ensuring the quality of yoga centers, registering yoga institutes, facilitating their recognition under the Yoga Certification Board, developing a rating system for yoga centers, and fostering national and international collaborations through MoUs.
Meanwhile, a high-level state committee will be formed to review and monitor the policy.
For the effective implementation of the policy, the government has earmarked a budget of ₹35 crore over the next five years.
Of this, around ₹25 crore will be allocated for the development of yoga centers, ₹1 crore for research initiatives, ₹1.81 crore for the certification of yoga teachers, and ₹7.5 crore to support the conduct of yoga sessions in existing institutions.
According to the state government, the policy will generate over 13,000 jobs in the state. It will also provide certification to 2500 yoga teachers and provide employment to 10,000 yoga instructors across homestays, hotels, and institutions.
The state cabinet also approved a new industrial policy – Uttarakhand Mega Industrial and Investment policy, 2025 to develop a favourable ecosystem for capital investment.
