Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Sunday, 21 June joined senior officers of the Indian Coast Guard in performing yoga at Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, marking the International Day of Yoga. The event was organised in collaboration with the Coast Guard, which is entering its Golden Jubilee year of inception, with officers, personnel, their families, and Lok Bhavan officials in attendance.

Key Developments

The Governor addressed the gathering and called upon universities across Maharashtra to promote yoga at scale and train yoga tutors and instructors for global deployment. Speaking in his capacity as Chancellor of 29 state universities with over three million students, he said, 'I believe our universities can produce the finest yoga tutors and trainers for the entire world and contribute significantly to the global spread of this invaluable Indian tradition.'

Varma also recalled the global journey of yoga, noting that for centuries the practice was confined to homes, ashrams, and dedicated institutions before Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the United Nations to designate 21 June as the International Day of Yoga — a resolution backed by a record number of UN member states.

Tribute to the Indian Coast Guard

The Governor praised the Indian Coast Guard, established in 1977, for its nearly five decades of maritime service. He highlighted Maharashtra's long coastline and busy ports as areas that have particularly benefited from the force's vigilance. He credited the Coast Guard with ensuring safety at sea, protecting fishermen and mariners, curbing illegal activities, and securing the nation's coastal perimeter.

Varma observed that the physical fitness and mental resilience demanded of Coast Guard personnel mirror the core principles of yoga, making the collaboration a fitting one.

Event Proceedings

Additional Director General, Western Seaboard, M.V. Pathak, PTM, TM, and Inspector General Bhishm Sharma, PTM, TM, felicitated the Governor during the ceremony. The yoga and pranayama session was conducted by instructor Dilip Dauneria from Kaivalyadhama.

What This Signals

The joint observance underscores the Centre's sustained push to institutionalise yoga across government bodies and armed forces. With the Coast Guard approaching its 50th anniversary, the convergence of the two milestones — Yoga Day and the Golden Jubilee — gives the event added symbolic weight. The Governor's appeal to universities to produce world-class yoga trainers points toward a longer-term ambition of positioning India as a global hub for yoga education.