By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JUNE 22, 2022: IN a bid to promote yoga for holistic well-being, the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC), working under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), organized an event to celebrate the 8th International Day of Yoga. The theme of the event was 'Say Yes to Yog and No to Rog' and it was followed by a first-of-its-kind "Convocation Ceremony" for students passing out from short term training courses of B&WSSC under the Skill India Mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that yoga has emerged as one of the biggest mass movements across the globe in recent times and the peace from yoga is not merely for individuals, but for our entire society. Aligned with this vision, MSDE has been working closely with B&WSSC to build awareness regarding various career prospects in the field of yoga and encourage youth to embrace them for a promising future.

Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, MSDE said, "Yoga is India's gift to the world. With roots in our ancient Vedic traditions, yoga is a holistic way to develop your inner as well as outer beauty. It is indeed heart-warming to see this convocation ceremony and certificates bringing pride to the instructors, some of whom are aged 60+ and reaffirming the fact that there is no age for sharing knowledge. As we emerge from the detrimental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, I foresee an urgent need for skill set enhancement of the potential workforce with a surge in demand for certified Yoga instructors and trainers. I also congratulate B&WSSC for becoming the first ever SSC in our ecosystem to hold a convocation as per directives of the Prime Minister."

B&WSSC offers three specific courses for yoga - Yoga Instructor (B&W) NSQF 4, Yoga Trainer (B&W) NSQF 5 and Senior Yoga Trainer (B&W) NSQF 6. Institutions like the Art of Living, The Yoga Institute and Patanjali have been associated with the sector skill council and have contributed to its success.

B&WSSC is one of the autonomous industry-led bodies set up by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) - the nodal agency of MSDE - to focus on establishing an effective and efficient ecosystem for developing and imparting skills in the Beauty and Wellness Industry, through relevant content and curriculum, courses, information database, and delivery systems. Since its inception, the council has taken several steps toward organizing this sector by creating several job roles and enhancing the employability of the Indian workforce globally.

While addressing the event, K.K. Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, MSDE, said, "As a result of Skill India's sustained efforts to help youth leverage various employment opportunities available in the field of yoga, over 1.30 lakh students have been trained as yoga instructors and trainers across the country in the last eight years. They have been trained through different skilling initiatives, primarily Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Short Term Training (STT) & Special Projects by B&WSSC. Moreover, due to the efforts of the ministry, yoga has reached nooks and corners of India, benefitting people not only physically but also spiritually. Today, people across the country are learning yoga through our Skill India training centres and considering it as a career option."

According to B&WSSC, the states with the highest number of skilled yoga students are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Kerala, and West Bengal. The sector skill council also has vocational education courses in yoga for CBSE schools starting from classes XI & XII.

Earlier, B&WSSC also signed an MoU with Art of Living in the presence of esteemed dignitaries for skilling of Indian youth in Yoga. Dr Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson-B&WSSC congratulated all the passing out students on their achievements & wished them luck for their future.