Everything You Need to Know About Fit India Movement
On the occasion of 114th birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand India’s hockey legend, India witnesses the launch of the “Fit India Movement”. The event started off by a colourful performance over the description of various health benefits of India’s native martial arts forms and games that are played in the country by people, at Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation after paying tribute to Major Dhyan Chand. In his address to the nation, PM emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how we have become ignorant about our fitness with the evolution of modern technology. He urged citizens to participate with enthusiasm in the movement, as the government only wishes to work as a catalyst in this movement and wants citizens to take it further and make it a huge success. He emphasized the participation of every men and woman,
“Healthy man means healthy family which ultimately leads to healthy society. This is the only way to new India.”
In his speech PM used examples of China’s “Healthy China 2030” and Germany’s “Fit instead of Fat” programmes to emphasize the interest of the international community’s into a healthier lifestyle.
What is “Fit India Movement” Mission?
The campaign was a four-year plan; which will be running on different fitness related topics every year. First-year of the movement will be focused on physical fitness; for the second, third, and fourth-year eating habits, environment-friendly lifestyle, and preservation from diseases would be the topic of a central focus, respectively.
The Fit India Movement is aimed to popularize the culture of sports and fitness in the country. It encourages people to prioritize fitness in their day-to-day lives.
Developments in the Fit India Movement
An advisory committee of 28 members has been formed under the leadership of Sports Minister Kiran Rijiju, to advise the government on the Fit India Movement.
The committee is consisting of 12 members from the government, including representatives from Secondary Education, Ayush, Youth Affairs, Health and Higher Education etc. 7 Members from Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and NSF and 9 members from private bodies such as Reliance Foundation, JSW Cements and JSW Paints, Tata Trusts, and prominent fitness influencer like Mr. Milind Soman and Mrs. Shilpa Shetty are involved.
This campaign will commence from the panchayat level and will run to the block, district, state, and national levels. The University Grant Commission (UGC) released a letter on 23rd of August 2019, informing that PM would be launching Fit India Movement on 29 August 2019. UGC has asked the educational institutions to prepare and implement an Institutional Fitness Plan.
This fitness plan should incorporate Sports/Exercises/Physical Activities for every student and staff to adopt and practice. The Vice-Chancellors and principals of several universities and also the colleges affiliated to them have been requested to make their institution’s fitness plan and publish it on their websites and notice boards.
Previous Endeavours to Promote Fitness
This is not the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized fitness. The current BJP government under Modi’s leadership has constantly encouraged people to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to UN, proposed the date 21 June (Summer Solstice in Northern hemisphere) to be declared as International Yoga Day.
The first International Yoga Day on 21 June 2015, the Ministry of Ayush arranged an event on Rajpath in New Delhi where 35,985 people including PM Narendra Modi and dignitaries from 84 nations performed 21 asanas.
Only last year then sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore floated a fitness campaign on twitter with the hashtag hum fit toh India fit (#HumFitTohIndiaFit). After his video went viral, several personalities including PM Modi, Virat Kohli, and Saina Nehwal shared theirs.
Response/Success to the Movement
Following the announcement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th of August on Mann Ki Baat, many celebrities, sportspersons and politicians have come forward to support the Fit India Movement and encourage people to participate actively. Many students and celebrated individuals have pledged to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Immediately after PM’s address to the nation, cricketing legend, Padma Vibhusan Mr. Sachin Tendulkar posted a video of himself playing carom with the residents of an old age home with the message of fitness for all, in support of the Fit India Movement.
Other sports personalities like P.V. Sindhu (2019 Khel Ratna awardee, Badminton Player), Mary Kom (Olympic Medallist and Member of Parliament), and Hardik Pandya (Member of Indian Cricket team) have also celebrated government’s decision to popularize sports and fitness culture in the country.
The Indian Film industry has also welcomed the campaign; tweets from Karan Johar, Ravi Kishan, etc. have shown support for the announcement. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Suresh Prabhu, and Neiphiu Rio Chief Minister of Nagaland have praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju for their intention and motivation for the Fit India Movement.
Need/ Objectives of the Movement
Despite the growth and popularity of the wellness industry in India, people still lack the enthusiasm and discipline to practice a healthy lifestyle. Gympik conducted market research in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The research included 1.06 million people from all genders between the 20-35 year age group.
The study revealed that 52% of the respondents do not find enough time to exercise, whereas 36% lack the motivation to join a fitness centre and 14% claimed they are clueless about where to begin. The study further reveals that only 11% out of 30% of respondents, who had a gym membership, have been regular for more than six months.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned in his speech we might find Diet and fitness trendy but we lack enough motivation and discipline to continue a fitness regimen on a regular basis. The Fit India Movement allows those 52 percent of people who cannot manage time for fitness in their daily routine.
As UGC requested educational institutions to plan and implement a fitness regime, we are hoping other institutions would also join the movement. This nationwide movement could prove to be the push we needed to get on the fitness train.
The current Government has taken several steps towards improving the quality of life in India. After Swachh Bharat Mission (a nationwide campaign to promote clean India) Fit India Mission is Modi government’s second huge mission to improve the quality of living.
Although Swachh Bharat Mission is not able to completely change the scene of Indian streets, it definitely was a step in the right direction. Cleanliness is now a topic of political and public discussion; public places are definitely more sanitary than they were before. With this new mission of Fit India, we are hoping it will be more successful and would bring a healthy lifestyle in every Indian household.
What are the Benefits of Fit India Movement (Positive Impact)
- It will help people to think and steal some time for themselves.
- The more people will try to keep themselves healthy the more they will stay fit and, in this way, the less they will feel sick and we will become a healthy nation.
- A healthy person can perform well in many ways, they can work for extra hours, they stay active for a long time, and their performance differs from others. So, it is beneficial in many ways.
- There are many ways of keeping yourself fit, it can be sports, exercise, and many of us love playing but due to our busy schedule we never go on the ground. Thanks to the Fit India movement, many offices have started organizing weekly sports events and some of them have also opened a gym in the office premises for their staff.
- Health is the biggest bank balance, and once it is over no one can refill it, so it’s better to invest a few hours on health every day. People are understanding this and trying to manage some time for it.
Conclusion
Health can be your best partner and will never ditch you and helps you most of the time. So, rather investing in your bank account invests in your health. It is a pan India movement and people from all age groups are taking part in it. Today in the age of social media, people feel more connected to one another and they get motivated by watching others and this campaign got so much popular just because of it. Let’s pledge to stay healthy and also motivate others for it.