In the wake of the rising number of centres offering yoga courses and yoga instructors, the government has set up a Yoga Certification Board(YCB) to develop standards and parameters to certify such professionals and provide accreditation to such institutes.
Yoga guru Ramdev, who is the chairman of Steering Committee of the YCB, said the main objectives of the board would be to promote yoga as a career skill, develop standards and parameters, assess competencies and to certify yoga professionals and accredit yoga institutes and centres.
Till now there was no authentic body to provide yoga certification around the globe, he said, adding that the Yoga Alliance which works at international level is a private body.
"The aim is also to bring uniformity and standards in yoga courses conducted across India and abroad, and dispel the illusions and misinterpretations surrounding yoga.
"Today, someone is offering nude yoga or wild yoga, which brings bad name to the concept of yoga. These are also an insult to yoga," Ramdev said, clarifying that it would not be mandatory as of now.
The idea is not to impose any restrictions on any individual or institution teaching yoga but to upgrade the ancient practice, he added.
Ramdev said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi constituted the Ministry of AYUSH, a need was felt to pay special attention to the fact that India lead in this sector as yoga has its roots in the country.
Yoga is a part of our legacy and it is the biggest gift of India to the world, he added.
The YCB has also set up three committees. The steering committee chaired by Ramdev, president of the Patanjali Yoga Peeth, has 21 members, including seven eminent yoga gurus, and will steer the overall development, implementation and supervision of the scheme and its outcome.
The technical committee will look into all the technical aspects of the academic, accreditation and certification and will be chaired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living.
The assessment committee's main function is to look into the examination, evaluation of yoga professionals, assessment of yoga institutions for accreditation and is chaired by Dr W Selvamurthy, president of Amity Science, Technology and Innovative Foundation, Noida.
Certification for yoga professionals will be offered under three categories. Yoga institutions and schools will be accredited based on their scale of operation, capacity, years of experience, etc.
The Quality Council of India is on the board of the YCB, an official from the AYUSH Ministry said.
The ministry is also making provisions to grant concessions to SC, ST, OBC and economically backward section candidates as per extant guidelines.
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