Uttarakhand's first-of-its-kind Yoga Policy to develop five global Yoga centres

The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday ratified its Yoga Policy 2025, the first of its kind in the country, announcing that it will develop five international-class Yoga Hubs and set up a Directorate of Yoga and Naturopathy.

The Pushkar Singh Dhami cabinet approved the country’s first Uttarakhand Yoga Policy 2025, to develop the state as a global yoga and wellness capital in the coming days.

Sharing details of the cabinet decision, Secretary to the Chief Minister Shailesh Bagoli informed that the policy’s objective is not merely to restrict yoga to spiritual or personal wellness, but to popularise it as a social, educational, economic, and tourism-based model for the state.

Apart from Rishikesh, five new world-class yoga hubs will be developed in Uttarakhand by 2030. The identified locations for these hubs in both the Kumaon and Garhwal regions are Jageshwar, Mukteshwar, Vyas Valley, Tehri Lake, and Kolidhek Lake. Yoga services will be made mandatory in all AYUSH health and wellness centres in the state by March 2026. Additionally, community-based special health programmes will be designed to cater to the needs of different age groups,” said Bagoli.

According to Bagoli, the policy will pave multiple pathways to promote yoga as a potential means of good health and wellness among the masses in the state and set an example for others. It will also promote yoga tourism, positioning Uttarakhand as an international hub for yoga and wellness. Rules and guidelines will be formulated for institutions teaching yoga to ensure quality and include yoga in the curriculum of schools and colleges. Capacity-building programmes will also be undertaken in collaboration with national and international institutions to create a substantial base of yoga experts in the state.

According to the cabinet decision, the government will also set up a Directorate of Yoga and Naturopathy to ensure the quality of yoga centres, their registration, and their recognition from the Yoga Certification Board. The Directorate will also develop a rating system for registered yoga centres and establish national and international cooperation through various MoUs.

According to the Chief Minister’s Secretary, registration of all yoga centres will be made mandatory, and a special online yoga platform will be created. Promotional campaigns and periodic international yoga conferences will be organised by 2028 to promote wellness tourism, partnering with 15 to 20 national and international institutions.

The Dhami government has also decided to provide 50 percent of the project cost or up to ₹20 lakh as government grants to set up new Yoga centres in the hills, and 25 percent or up to a maximum of ₹10 lakh in the plains, with the total annual grant limit set at ₹5 crore.

The state government will also provide a grant of ₹1 crore, up to ₹10 lakh per project, to promote research in yoga, meditation, and naturopathy for universities, research institutes, health organisations, AYUSH institutions, and NGOs. Under its promotional programme, the state government will also pay ₹250 per session to yoga instructors already working at yoga centres in existing homestays, resorts, hotels, schools, colleges, or any other institutions.

The state government will allocate around ₹35 crore over the next five years for the successful implementation of the policy, which is expected to create more than 13,000 jobs in the state. Nearly 2,500 yoga teachers will be certified by the Yoga Certification Board, and more than 10,000 instructors are likely to secure employment.

In addition to ratifying the Yoga Policy, the Dhami cabinet for the first time included methyl alcohol in the list of poisonous substances, enabling authorities to inspect and take action against liquor manufacturers who add this chemical to alcoholic beverages.