The Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga, one of the most coveted honours in the field of Yoga, has been announced for the year 2021. Two individuals, namely Shri Bhikkhu Sanghasena Leh, Ladakh and Shri Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and two organisations, namely, The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand and the British Wheel of Yoga, United Kingdom are the recipients of the same.
The awards for the Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yogawas announced by the Prime Minister of India on the occasion of the 2nd International Day of Yoga celebrations at Chandigarh on 21st June, 2016. The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India developed the guidelines for the said awards. A two-stage selection process through a Screening Committee (for preliminary evaluation) and Evaluation Committee (Jury for final evaluation), is followed in a transparent manner for finalizing the awards. Nominations for the awards for 2021 were invited through an open advertisement on MyGov platform. Start date for the same was 29th March, 2021 and end date was 11th May, 2021.
The Screening Committee chaired by Secretary (Ayush) drew up a shortlist from the 120 applications received as well as the Committee’s own inputs. The Jury chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, examined the recommendations of the Screening Committee, and also made its own analysis of the contributions made by the institutions and individuals shortlisted. The selection was done after considering nominations received under four different categories, namely International Individual, International Organisation, National Individual and National Organisation.
Following are the awardees of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga for the Year 2021:
Shri Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues, Sao Paulo, Brazil-International Individual
British Wheel of Yoga, United Kingdom- International Organisation
Shri Bhikkhu Sanghasena, Leh, Ladakh- National Individual
The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, Uttarkhand- National Organisation
The winners will be felicitated with of a Trophy, Certificate and a Cash Award each. The value of each Cash Award would be Rs. 25.00 lakh.