The Centre spent about ₹20 crore to organise the fourth International Yoga Day on Thursday — and that’s not including the expenses incurred by the States, NGOs and trusts to celebrate the occasion.

In 2015, on the first ever Yoga Day, the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) had spent a much higher sum — ₹32 crore — according to the reply to a query in the Lok Sabha.

In September 2014, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi championed the case for an ‘International Yoga Day’. In December that year, the UN fixed June 21 as the Day; in December 2016, UNESCO declared yoga as India’s intangible cultural heritage.

A major chunk of the AYUSH Ministry’s spending was on publicity. An advertising blitzkrieg was unleashed a couple of weeks ago on both Doordarshan and private channels. “The rates for advertising differ across television slots . We spent quite a bit on getting prime-time slots. And then there are print ads in all newspapers, and hoardings, too,” said a senior AYUSH Ministry official.

Money was also spent on arranging yoga mats, printing signature t-shirts, setting up mobile toilets, and employing contractual security. AYUSH, the nodal ministry for organising the event, also reimburses the expenses incurred by the Ministry of External Affairs in 200 Indian embassies where Yoga Day is observed.

In Budget 2018-19, AYUSH had been allotted a total of ₹71.36 crore for Central schemes and projects. Of this, ₹34 crore, or 47.64 per cent, is directed towards publicity and awareness, under the head Information, Education and Communication (IEC). A sum of ₹13 crore is also allocated for ‘international co-operation’.

According to Budget documents, AYUSH spent ₹24.66 crore on IEC in 2016-17.

The total spending by all agencies, including NGOs like Brahma Kumaris Trust, the Art of Living Foundation, individual States, and municipal corporations of Delhi, and the Delhi Development Authority will likely exceed the total contribution of AYUSH, the ministry official noted. For example, the event at Red Fort which saw 30,000 individuals ranging from 10 to 90 years of age was completely sponsored by Brahma Kumaris Trust.

“The massive crowds that perform the 45-minute drill on the day are mobilised by trusts and NGOs as the Centre does not have that kind of an outreach. Nearly a month before the D-day, morning and evening camps are held to train participants at various parks who then turn out in huge numbers,” the official said.

The gathering at Forest Research Institute in Dehradun saw a massive turn-out of 50,000 volunteers who stretched their muscles alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi as also another huge event at Rajpath attended by Minister of Science and Technology, Harshvardhan and Lieutanant General of Delhi, Anil Baijal saw a turn out of close to 30,000 persons.

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