“Healthy Mind lives in a Healthy Body” – This saying has been taken very seriously by the central government with the introduction of the ‘Fit India Movement’ on August 29, 2019.
Keeping that in mind, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday, November 27 announced a grading system that will test the fitness levels of the students. It will encourage schools to give importance to physical activities as much as academics.
Kiren Rijiju made the announcement during a Walkathon at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi by fitness services provider VLCC. At the event, he took the orange pledge – a fitness pledge by VLCC.
The grading system was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Mann ki Baat on Sunday. The schools will be ranked into three categories:
- The Fit India Schools, the First Rank
- The Fit India Schools (3 – star)
- The Fit India Schools (5 – star)
“Citizens need to be fit. The activity doesn’t mean sitting on your laptop and playing games, but going out and sweating it out. Physical Fitness is important not just for youngsters but for people of all ages,” said Minister Kiren Rijiju.
He further said, “The Fit India Movement has united people from parts of India, from coastal India to deserts to the Himalayas, in a common mission. This will improve the health and mission of Indians.”
He also announced the introduction of fitness awards for the Villages and Districts. He also said, from this year, the 2nd and 3rd week of November will be observed as the Fitness week by CBSE as part of the Fit India Movement.
He called the ‘Fit India Movement’ a movement for the people of India.