Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday, 21 June announced that permanent yoga centres will be established in every village across the state, as part of the government's broader mission to deliver holistic health to every household. The announcement came during the state-organised International Yoga Day event at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada.

Key Announcements

Addressing a packed stadium of students, youth, officials, and members of the public — many of whom had gathered since 5 am — Naidu outlined a multi-pronged yoga infrastructure plan. Permanent yoga centres will be constructed in Swarna Grama and Swarna Ward offices. District- and mandal-level officials will be appointed to oversee yoga programmes, and a dedicated expert panel will draft standardised yoga protocols. A separate portal under the 'Yogandhra' brand will also be launched.

Naidu further announced that the 'Sanjeevani' health initiative will be rolled out statewide from 15 August, with yoga integrated into its framework and medical experts brought closer to communities.

Scale of Participation

The Chief Minister cited figures indicating that more than 1 crore people are currently practising yoga across 1.33 lakh centres in Andhra Pradesh. On the occasion, two World Book of Records certificates were presented to Naidu, recognising the participation of 1.07 crore citizens and 2.5 lakh instructors in yoga activities across the state. Naidu recalled that the earlier Yogandhra-2025 event in Visakhapatnam had set Guinness and world records in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What Naidu and Ramdev Said

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev led the gathering in yoga practice and guided Naidu and Education Minister Nara Lokesh through various asanas. Naidu, wearing a T-shirt bearing the Yogandhra logo, performed Pranayama and Anulom-Vilom techniques alongside other asanas.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said: 'Taking yoga to every household and ensuring public health is the government's goal.' He credited Prime Minister Modi's initiative for International Yoga Day now being observed in 190 countries, calling India a 'Vishwa Guru' — a global mentor. Naidu also disclosed that he has personally practised yoga for 30 years, describing it as central to managing the pressures of public life.

Health and Environment Commitments

Beyond yoga, Naidu called on citizens to avoid junk food and embrace natural farming, arguing that chemical-free food reduces illness. He pledged to raise the state's green cover to 50 per cent and urged people to dedicate at least one hour daily to yoga, meditation, and pranayama. He also announced that the next International Yoga Day event will be held in Tirupati.

Who Was Present

The event was attended by Union Ministers Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Education Minister Nara Lokesh, state ministers Satya Kumar Yadav, Kandula Durgesh, Atchannaidu, and Savitha, MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni), State Government Advisor Mantena Satyanarayana Raju, Patanjali Ayurved Co-founder Acharya Balkrishna, and senior officials including District Collector Dr G. Lakshmisha. As the Yogandhra initiative moves from mass events to village-level infrastructure, the state's ability to staff and sustain 1.33 lakh-plus centres will be the true measure of its ambition.