Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the 'Run for Yoga' event in Dehradun on Friday, 20 June 2026, flagging off the mass run organised ahead of the 12th International Day of Yoga and joining youth participants on the course to encourage their enthusiasm.

Context

Posting on X, CM Dhami described his participation in the event, saying he flagged off the run and 'बड़ी संख्या में प्रतिभाग कर रहे युवाओं के उत्साहवर्धन हेतु उनके साथ दौड़ भी लगाई' ('also ran alongside the large number of youth participating, to boost their morale'). He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'visionary leadership' for giving yoga a new global identity, adding that 'yoga is not merely exercise, but the foundation of a healthy body, balanced mind, and positive life.'

The event in Dehradun, the state capital of Uttarakhand, forms part of a broader set of state-level activities building toward the main observance on 21 June 2026.

Policy Backdrop

The International Day of Yoga traces its origin to 2014, when Prime Minister Modi proposed the observance at the UN General Assembly. The resolution was adopted unanimously, co-sponsored by 175 nations — one of the largest such co-sponsorships in UN history. The Ministry of AYUSH, elevated to full ministry status that same year, has since coordinated national yoga promotion through the annual Common Yoga Protocol observed each June.

Now in its 12th edition, the day has become a fixture of India's cultural diplomacy calendar, with state governments running parallel local events that mirror the central government's messaging around holistic wellness and public health.

Stakeholders and Impact

Uttarakhand, a state with deep historical ties to yoga and Ayurveda, has consistently hosted prominent state-level events on this occasion. BJP-governed states, including Uttarakhand, have replicated the central model by combining fitness runs, youth engagement drives, and public-health messaging into a single civic exercise. The youth participants at the Dehradun run represent the primary audience for this domestic outreach.

The broader aim, as articulated by CM Dhami, is to encourage citizens to make yoga part of their daily routine and contribute to building a 'healthy and empowered India' — 'स्वस्थ एवं सशक्त भारत'.

What's Next

The main International Day of Yoga observance falls on 21 June 2026, when large-scale events are expected at both the national and state levels. Observers will watch for any follow-up directives from the state or central government on integrating yoga into school curricula or government employee wellness programmes, areas that have been discussed in prior years as natural extensions of the annual campaign.