How Can Citizens Contribute to a Fitter India?

New Delhi, Aug 17 (NationPress) Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya called upon all citizens to embrace an active lifestyle by engaging in the FIT India Sundays on Cycle initiative from his native village Hanol in Palitana, Gujarat.

Launched by the Sports Minister in December 2024, this cycling initiative has reached over 46,000 locations to date, with more than 800,000 participants. In line with its objective to foster a healthier, pollution-free India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports organized a special edition of ‘Fit India Sundays on Cycle’ today, collaborating with the National Cadet Corps across 5,000 locations nationwide. Approximately 3,000 Namo Fit India Clubs were also involved in the event.

Dr. Mandaviya encouraged fellow villagers, both men and women, to download the FIT India mobile app and take advantage of its carbon credit feature.

“I urge everyone to download the FIT India mobile app to see how much carbon is saved by cycling to work or moving around the village. The app provides comprehensive information regarding your health, including distance traveled, time taken, and heart rate, making it beneficial for health monitoring. Cycling is an effective method to combat obesity and tackle pollution. I invite everyone to join our Fit India Sundays on Cycle movement,” Dr. Mandaviya stated in Hanol.

In Delhi, over 1,200 enthusiastic cyclists rode around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while enjoying Zumba, meditation, yoga, and rope skipping activities organized by Dr. Shikha Gupta. Additionally, fencers Naziya Shaik and Beni Quebha expressed their support for the cycling movement, emphasizing its crucial role in raising awareness about the negative impacts of obesity and air pollution in Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 cities.

“This is my first experience cycling with such a large crowd. I am thrilled to be part of it. Fit India Sundays on Cycle is an excellent initiative to raise awareness about lifestyle diseases such as obesity and pollution. It was wonderful to see people engage in diverse physical activities like Zumba, yoga, rope skipping, badminton, and net cricket all in one place. The morning was filled with high energy, and the message was clear: we must adopt an active lifestyle to stay fit and healthy,” remarked Beni Quebha, a National Games medallist in fencing.

Meanwhile, over 100 riders from the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) participated enthusiastically in the Fit India Sundays on Cycle event at the Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW). This event was conducted in conjunction with the Indian Railway’s cycling training camp currently taking place at PLW. This successful initiative not only emphasized physical fitness but also showcased RSPB’s steadfast commitment to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among its athletes and employees.

The Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in partnership with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), Raahgiri Foundation, My Bikes, and MY Bharat. The cycling drive takes place simultaneously in the capitals of all states and union territories, alongside SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), SAI Training Centres (STCs), Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCEs), and Khelo India centres (KICs) across various age groups.