Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary extended greetings to the nation on International Yoga Day on Sunday, 21 June 2026, calling yoga India's ancient cultural heritage and crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for securing its global recognition through the United Nations.

Context

In his post on X, Choudhary wrote: 'योग भारत की प्राचीन सांस्कृतिक विरासत है, जिसने आज पूरे विश्व को स्वस्थ जीवन का मार्ग दिखाया है' ['Yoga is India's ancient cultural heritage, which has today shown the entire world the path to a healthy life']. He noted that under PM Modi's leadership, yoga received global recognition and the UN declared 21 June as International Day of Yoga. He closed with the Hindi slogan: 'करें योग, रहें निरोग' ['Practice yoga, stay disease-free'].

Choudhary also linked yoga observance to the broader national aspiration of a healthy, empowered, and developed India — invoking the Viksit Bharat vision that underpins the current government's long-term development framework.

Policy Backdrop

The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 69/131 in December 2014, proclaiming 21 June as International Day of Yoga at India's request — a diplomatic initiative championed by PM Modi during his address to the UN that year. The resolution received co-sponsorship from a record number of member states, underscoring the breadth of international support.

Since then, successive Indian governments at the centre and in states have used the annual observance to project soft power, advance traditional knowledge diplomacy, and integrate wellness practices into public health messaging. Mass yoga demonstrations, ministry-level programmes, and state-level participation have become standard features of the day.

Stakeholders and Impact

The message is directed at Bihar's population and the wider Indian public, reinforcing state-level participation in a nationally coordinated observance. Yoga practitioners, public health advocates, and school communities are among the primary stakeholders who engage with annual Yoga Day programming.

Choudhary's invocation of Viksit Bharat — the government's vision for a developed India — frames personal wellness as inseparable from national progress, a rhetorical link that state governments across the political spectrum have increasingly adopted. The post also reflects Bihar's alignment with central government cultural priorities ahead of continuing developmental initiatives in the state.

What's Next

State and central government agencies are expected to hold mass yoga sessions and public health events across Bihar and the rest of the country on 21 June. Observers will watch for any new policy guidelines integrating yoga into school curricula or public health frameworks as the Viksit Bharat agenda advances through its implementation phases.