Mumbai, June 15: The Maharashtra state Education Department has asked all the educational institutions -- schools, colleges, and universities to organise yoga sessions for about 30 minutes on the 21st of every month. The decision by the Maharashtra government comes days ahead of the annual International Day of Yoga which is observed on June 21 every year. However, the monthly Yoga Day would reportedly be optional and no action will be taken against institutes that do not hold the session.

Vinod Tawde, Maharashtra Education Minister, while addressing education and sports officers across the State via video-conferencing on Thursday, said that Yoga should be limited to being an annual affair which is observed on June 21 of every year. "Practising yoga is a healthy exercise. Therefore, it should be held on every month of 21st," he said

Instructions have been given to education officers to make sure the observance of Yoga Day on the 21st of every month is planned well in advance. In case 21st is a Sunday or a holiday, school managements have been asked to hold the programme a day ahead or later. “But the practice has to be followed,” said Tawde to the Hindu.

The State government has also asked the education department to set up a website to publish photographs of programmes held on Yoga Day. The educational institutes have been asked to submit the Yoga day plan by June 16 to the education commissioner.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2018 11:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).