Shillong, June 21 (JKNS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday led the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the Eastern Air Command Headquarters in Shillong, where he performed yoga alongside around 1,000 personnel of the Indian Air Force and Indian Army, stressing the need to make yoga an integral part of daily life to build a healthy body, calm mind and a strong nation.
As per news agency JKNS, Singh led the Defence Forces and the Ministry of Defence in celebrating the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) by performing various asanas & breathing exercises with around 1,000 soldiers of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army at the Eastern Air Command Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya on June 21, 2026.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia, and General Officer Commanding of Headquarters 101 Area Lieutenant General Mohit Wadhwa also performed Yoga along with Raksha Mantri.
Addressing mediapersons on the occasion, Rajnath Singh described Yoga as a holistic science and an art of living that connects individuals with their inner selves, society, nature, and ultimately, the divine. He added that yoga offers a path to inner stability, mental clarity, and emotional resilience.
In a post on X, Raksha Mantri credited the persistent efforts and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for making Yoga a global movement, which is providing health benefits to people across the world.
He emphasised that Yoga symbolises the power of India’s ancient traditions, which is ensuring the well-being of all humanity. He appealed to the people to make Yoga an integral part of their daily lives to build a healthy body, calm mind, and a strong nation.
All the participants witnessed the Prime Minister’s IDY speech delivered from the historic Red Road in Kolkata, West Bengal. Yoga sessions were also conducted at numerous forward locations, reflecting the dedication and enthusiasm of the defence forces personnel.
Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth celebrated Yoga Day at Swarn Jyanti Dikshant Mandap, Ranchi University at an event organised by the Ministry of AYUSH. He, too, underlined the need to incorporate yoga in day-to-day lives as it teaches to remain calm in favorable or adverse circumstances. He termed it as the most powerful medium for fostering positivity within.
Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani led the Yoga Day celebrations organised by HQ, Integrated Defence Staff at the National War Memorial, New Delhi.
Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and other senior officers & their families attended the event.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Finance) Shri Vishvajit Sahay and Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) Shri Anugraha Narayana Das, along with other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence & Defence Accounts Department, performed Yoga at the office of CGDA in New Delhi. Celebrating ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’, the theme of IDY 2026, more than 10,000 officials of the Defence Accounts Department across the country joined the virtual mass movement to promote yoga and overall well-being. (JKNS)
