To popularise yoga across the State, the department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy), a unit of the health and family welfare department of the State government, will provide intensive yoga training to 6,000 teachers from across the state starting from April.

The teachers will teach yoga classes in their respective schools and the students in turn will further spread the practice in the community. “We had put forward a proposal to the State government and it has been cleared,” said G.N. Sreekanthaiah, director, AYUSH department. The State-wide project, estimated to cost Rs 4 crore, has been launched after a pilot study conducted in Chitradurga and Tumkur districts showed that yoga brought down the school drop-out rate by seven per cent.

The pilot project was conducted over a period of two years (2009-10) in one taluk each in Chitradurga and Tumkur districts. “The study analysis has shown that students practising yoga are more physically fit with an increase in their memory power. But more than that, it also shows a downward trend in the school drop-out rate by about seven per cent and a decline in lifestyle diseases in society as well,” said Mr Sreekanthaiah.

He told Deccan Chronicle that initially primary and higher primary school teachers from one taluk will be trained. A total of 6,000 teachers will be provided intensive residential yoga training for about 10 days. About 25 expert trainers from AYUSH as well as the education department have already been identified.