NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed a yoga minister in a major revamp of his government after storming to power in May, in a bid to promote the ancient practice.
Yoga-loving Modi beefed up his right-wing government on Sunday by appointing 21 new ministers, with the aim of speeding up reforms to revive the faltering economy.
Among the portfolios designated late Sunday was that of Aayush, whose minister will be charged with promoting the traditional medicines and practices of Ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homeopathy.
Modi, a vegetarian who practises yoga daily, asked the United Nations in September to consider an international yoga day.
During his visit to the United States, Modi also discussed the ancient Indian discipline with President Barack Obama during their dinner at the White House.
"Congratulations to all colleagues who have taken oath today. Looking forward to working with them to accelerate India's development journey," Modi said in a tweet late Sunday.
Modi added four new ministers to his cabinet, and 17 junior ministers for a 66-member strong government including the premier.
Aayush was previously part of the health minister's responsibility, but has become a separate portfolio after Sunday's reshuffle, with former tourism minister Shripad Yesso Naik taking charge.
Among other changes, suave regional leader Manohar Parrikar was handed the defence ministry charged with modernising the country's ageing armed forces.
Parrikar's appointment will ease the burden on Arun Jaitley, who had been juggling both the defence and finance ministries since the government took office in May, while battling ill-health.
Jaitley also takes information and broadcasting under the revamp, but will be mostly free to focus on steering through difficult reforms pledged during the election campaign to revive the faltering economy.
Parrikar, with a reputation for clean government during his time as chief minister of tourism state Goa, will be expected to speed-up long-delayed defence orders and overhaul the country's Soviet-era military hardware.
A series of corruption scandals under the previous Congress government had brought defence procurement to a near standstill.
Although it has introduced some reforms, the government has so far steered clear of "big bang" initiatives that economists say are needed to boost investment and manufacturing.
Jayant Sinha, the Harvard-educated son of a former finance minister, was named junior minister for finance, underlining Modi's priority to boost business and attract foreign investment.
Railways was handed over to Suresh Prabhu, a veteran leader of the Hindu hardline regional Shiv Sena party who switched allegiance to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just before Sunday's swearing-in ceremony.
COMMENTS (19)
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I practice yoga, but fail to see the need for a government ministry for it. I can see the logic of promoting good preventive practices, healthy food and healthy living practices promoted by the health department. But, not a government yoga and alternative medicine ministry.
Allopathic system has become a handmaiden of big drug manufacturers, big hospital chains, medical insurance companies, test labs and allied infrastructure companies. It is out of reach of the common man. There is no health facility available in poor neighbourhoods of cities, villages worth any quality. 97% of Health ministry budget is consumed by Allopathic systems. Poor people depend on Ayurveda, Homeopathy or quacks. Mr Modi has taken an excellent decision to support these Systems. Common people would benefit by getting cheaper quality health care without need of elaborate tests. Yoga is an excellent ancient Indian science to not only act as prevention of disease but promote healthy lifestyle.
@wb: I don’t think you understand the concept of a ministry
Please do enlighten us
@WB Let Modi do what he wants to do with his cabinet. We, the Indian public will judge him at the end of his term. You too, can vote for/against him at the end of his term, i.e if you have suffrage. You are needlessly criticizing Modi for something which can only bring benefit. No loss to anybody is going to happen if Yoga, Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Siddha ,Unani and Homoeopathy are brought under a ministry. Only good will happen to these non-western(except Homoeopathy) medicinal and wellbeing disciplines if they happen to now come under a ministry. These already exist in our country anyway, so you might ask, what's the point? You need more centralized control, more funds and this has been a long stated demand for practitioners of these disciplines. China promotes Traditional Chinese Medicines, Feng Shui, Kung-fu(as Wushu) ,Tai Chi etc in a big big way. They are proud of their culture and paitrikam(heritage) and similarly, Modi too feels this heritage needs a ministry to promote and extoll its virtues/benefits. So, why not?
@ET,please publish this atleast.
@Sneha:
"Because you need a ministry to help solve their problems they face for a dying tradition."
I don't think you understand the concept of a ministry.
@sunil:
"what has the right or left to do with it? in india’s case we lost our values and they need to be revised."
We have not lost any values. Besides Yoga is not a value. Neither is Ayurveda.
If it is a value that we need to revive, then we more desperately need ministry for respect to women, ministry for honesty, ministry for hard work, ministry for not-urinating-in-the-public, ministry for not spitting on the walls, ministry for reading more books, ministry against bollywood, ministry of not scratching our crotches in public, ministry of not staring at foreigners, ministry of not haggling tourists, ministry for using proper rickshaw meters, ministry of not bribing...
I agree with wb. I thought Modi was a pragmatic, hard nosed businessman. He will soon be labeled as a cheap politician if he doesn't cut this yoga ministry and other crap from his agenda. Show originality and a path to real progress, Mr.Modi, none of this 'snake oil salesmanship' is going to work for too long.
@wb: what has the right or left to do with it? in india's case we lost our values and they need to be revised.
Modi was elected with a hope that he would perk up economy and create jobs. I am disappointed to see Indian PM giving importance to fringe activities. A ministry for Yoga, demanding a separate vegetarian hostels in educational institutes.... They are not bad, but, are they important enough to share the space with economy, jobs, FDI etc.?
I think Modi won't last for more than a term if he continues to indulge in things like 'Aayush'. He could have added an additional joint secretary to information ministry and assigned 'Aayush' to him/her.
@wb: Because you need a ministry to help solve their problems they face for a dying tradition. Same question can be asked why need a health ministry, tribal ministry/commerce ministry? Hospitals already operate in india so does business So why need a health or commerce ministry? Everything needs assistance and polices to promote,develop,finance and make it an industry which till now was largely disorganised and under-utilised. It's healthy providing yoga,meditation etc in hospital etc is a welcome step. Plus nobody claimed to cure things you mentioned it's called preventive medicines,naturalopathy,mind,stress, physical stress remover in today's voilent and stressed life from start to end of life living a healthy mind body soul. As far as crimes rates goes, when politics in involved in police force and criminals roam free without any fear no amount of tradition would save it unless law and order enforcements are empowered and equipped like first world countries. Though that can't be true too because America is number one is such crimes. Secondly india has become largely westernised. People complain of forgetting ones own old culture and tradition due to which such conflicts and open crimes. Now here is Someone who is reviving our ancient tradition which we are forgetting. So what's the problem?
@Animal Farm:
"Yoga is a mutli billionare dollar industry in the USA…. There are specific schools and colleges where you can become a certified instructor….A certified Yoga teacher can earn more than a high school teacher Also,the sales of Yoga pants,yoga mats etc…..
its a goldmine yet to be unearthed…."
Yoga is a multi billion dollar industry even in India. Why a ministry for something that is thriving on its own?
@Sunil:
"Promotes good values, habits, discipline, health benefits, etc. means a better more balanced body and mind. So why not? "
I'm sorry, but your writing is utter nonsense and blinded.
Good values are neither promoted by Yoga nor meditation. Did India become a rape and cheat capitol through Yoga and Meditation? Did India become an unhygienic, smelly hole by Yoga and meditation?
How did Sweden, Norway, Canada acquire so many great values without Yoga or mediation?
Good, all good. better balanced body and mind is all good.
The question is to put things in context. Why the heck does India need a ministry for this?
Let's be honest, Modi is doing this to please his ultra-rightwing Hindus and nothing else.
@wb: Did you know in Australia, they are actually looking at providing a degree in Ayurveda?
"Let’s not be fanatics or superstitious and look at things as they are. Ayurveda provides solutions to imbalances in the fluids inside human body such as Kapha (phlegm), pitha (bile), vatha (acidity and gastric), and some external ailments. Ayurveda has no remedy for cancer, aids, major accidents, heart surgeries, polio, dengue, ebola, kidney failure, eye transplantation, heart transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, major trauma and millions of other ailments."
Did you know Plastic surgery, couching (a form of cataract surgery) and other techniques from this tradition are used in modern western medicine? I think you should do your research. I agree not all things are treated by Ayurveda but the same goes for western/modern medicine. Chinese traditional medicine is widely used in China and promoted, so why not India? Do not forget that Chinese traditional medicine and Ayurveda, have shared knowledge. I have benefitted from Ayurveda, when western medicine could not help. Keep an open and questioning mind, I feel.
@wb: Yoga is a mutli billionare dollar industry in the USA.... There are specific schools and colleges where you can become a certified instructor....A certified Yoga teacher can earn more than a high school teacher Also,the sales of Yoga pants,yoga mats etc.....
its a goldmine yet to be unearthed....
@wb: Promotes good values, habits, discipline, health benefits, etc. means a better more balanced body and mind. So why not?
@Sneha:
You are absolutely wrong on two accounts.
" it creates jobs and money. This brings both foriegn money as well as indian money creating and industry to increase gdp. Plus cultural identity needs to be preserved and saved. We don’t need America and thailand to do what’s indian and export our things to make money for their economy."
This is already happening in India. You don't need a ministry for this. I guess you never understood my point.
"It provides cheap healthcare, medicines and exercises to improve life and longitivity to poor and rich likewise with natural medicine,yoga,Ayurvedic massage etc unlike alothpathy with poor can’t afford. Such healthcare also promotes tourism to india like states of Kerala and Goa."
Now this is a problem.
Let's not be fanatics or superstitious and look at things as they are. Ayurveda provides solutions to imbalances in the fluids inside human body such as Kapha (phlegm), pitha (bile), vatha (acidity and gastric), and some external ailments. Ayurveda has no remedy for cancer, aids, major accidents, heart surgeries, polio, dengue, ebola, kidney failure, eye transplantation, heart transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, major trauma and millions of other ailments.
" Sorry modi took a wise decision."
Wise decision? Only unwise should say so.
@wb: it creates jobs and money. It provides cheap healthcare, medicines and exercises to improve life and longitivity to poor and rich likewise with natural medicine,yoga,Ayurvedic massage etc unlike alothpathy with poor can't afford. Such healthcare also promotes tourism to india like states of Kerala and Goa. This brings both foriegn money as well as indian money creating and industry to increase gdp. Plus cultural identity needs to be preserved and saved. We don't need America and thailand to do what's indian and export our things to make money for their economy. Sorry modi took a wise decision.
I don't have any problem with Yoga ministry. But I completely fail to see the point.
Why does Yoga need a ministry and why does Yoga need promoting. Yoga is a cultural thing and is alive in India and more so in the west. Yoga's benefits are known to Indians and many of us practice it regularly or occasionally.
What will a whole ministry do for Yoga, Ayurveda, Naturopathy etc? Sounds like a waste of money and resources.