Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, 18 June 2026, invoked India's civilisational legacy as a pillar of its global standing, marking twelve years of the current government's dual emphasis on development and heritage under the Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi (Development as well as Heritage) framework.

Context

Rijiju's post states, 'India's roots are now its global strength,' pointing to the return of precious artefacts and Buddha relics, as well as the worldwide spread of Yoga and Ayurveda, as evidence of the country's civilisational influence. The remarks coincide with the approach of International Day of Yoga on 21 June, an annual milestone that has become a flagship moment for India's cultural diplomacy. The hashtag #12YearsOfVikasBhiVirasatBhi explicitly anchors the message to the administration's twelve-year record since 2014.

Policy Backdrop

The Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi doctrine has underpinned a series of institutional moves since 2014, most notably the creation of the Ministry of AYUSH to mainstream Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy within national health and soft-power policy. In the same year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed to the UN General Assembly that 21 June be recognised as the International Day of Yoga; the resolution was adopted with co-sponsorship from a record number of member states, giving India a recurring global platform rooted in its traditional knowledge systems.

Artefact repatriation has formed a parallel strand of this cultural outreach, with diplomatic channels being used to recover heritage objects held abroad and return them to Indian soil. Together, these strands constitute what the government frames as a coherent cultural diplomacy strategy — projecting India's ancient identity alongside its economic ambitions.

Stakeholders and Impact

Heritage conservationists and AYUSH practitioners are among the primary domestic stakeholders who have benefited from elevated policy attention and funding over the past twelve years. Internationally, the mainstreaming of Yoga has created a global community of practitioners that India counts as part of its soft-power footprint, with events held in over 190 countries on each International Day of Yoga. The repatriation of Buddhist relics carries particular significance for India's diplomatic ties with Southeast Asian and East Asian nations, where such artefacts hold deep religious and cultural meaning.

For minority communities and diaspora groups, the government's emphasis on civilisational heritage serves as both a point of pride and, for some, a subject of ongoing debate about whose heritage is centred in the national narrative.

What's Next

With International Day of Yoga 2026 days away, further announcements on international AYUSH collaborations and cultural exchanges are expected. Observers will also watch for any heritage-related legislation in upcoming parliamentary sessions, as well as additional artefact repatriation announcements that could reinforce the diplomatic messaging Rijiju has amplified. The twelve-year milestone framing suggests the ruling party intends to make cultural diplomacy a centrepiece of its political communication in the months ahead.