Andhra trains 1,870 teachers to lead daily yoga in 935 PM SHRI schools
Representative image: StockSnap / Pixabay
Andhra Pradesh trained 1,870 teachers from 935 PM SHRI schools in a three-day yoga course ending October 7, 2026, to lead daily student sessions.
What Happened
Andhra Pradesh has started training two teachers from each of its 935 PM SHRI government schools to lead daily yoga sessions for students. A three-day residential programme for 1,870 teachers opened at Kanha Shanti Vanam, the Heartfulness campus near Hyderabad, in the first week of October 2026 and was scheduled to run until Wednesday, October 7, 2026. It was organised jointly by Samagra Shiksha Andhra Pradesh, the state's school education mission, and the Heartfulness Education Trust. B. Srinivasa Rao, state project director of Samagra Shiksha, said at the opening that yoga should become a routine part of student life, and linked the effort to the goals of the National Education Policy 2020.
Key Facts
- 1,870 teachers, two from each of 935 PM SHRI schools in Andhra Pradesh, were called for the residential training.
- The programme ran for three days at Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad and was scheduled to end on October 7, 2026.
- It was run by Samagra Shiksha Andhra Pradesh with the Heartfulness Education Trust, with experts from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy.
- The content follows Ministry of Ayush guidelines: warm-up practices, Surya Namaskar, asanas, pranayama, meditation and relaxation.
- Teachers who complete it are certified as "Lead Teachers for Yoga" and are to introduce yoga into the school day under their headmasters.
- Teachers will record the progress of school sessions on a digital platform.
- In late September, Education Minister Nara Lokesh directed officials to bring Heartfulness yoga training to 963 government schools in a first phase covering about 4.47 lakh students, as part of a push on student stress and mental health.
Why It Matters
Yoga is already part of the school curriculum on paper in most states, and International Day of Yoga on June 21 brings large one-day events. What usually goes missing is a trained person in each school who can run short, safe sessions every day. The Andhra Pradesh approach tries to fix that gap by creating a cadre of in-school lead teachers rather than relying on visiting instructors or a single annual event.
The training is built on the practices the Ministry of Ayush promotes for the general public, which keeps the content simple, low-cost and standardised: a sequence of loosening exercises, sun salutations, a small set of postures, breathing practices and a closing relaxation. That matters for schools, where classes are large, space is limited and children differ widely in fitness. A common, guideline-based routine also makes it easier to check what is actually being taught.
The state government has framed the effort around student stress. The minister's directive in September tied yoga to wider awareness work on mental health, alongside academic targets for Class 10 and Intermediate results. Yoga and breathing practices are widely used for relaxation and attention, though they are a support for wellbeing, not a replacement for counselling or medical care where a child needs it.
The PM SHRI scheme is a central programme to upgrade selected government schools as models under NEP 2020, so these 935 schools are meant to set an example for others. Two teachers per school also means some cover when one is absent or transferred, a common reason such programmes fade.
| Programme | What it covers |
|---|---|
| PM SHRI teacher training | 1,870 teachers from 935 schools, three days, October 2026 |
| First-phase school rollout | 963 government schools, about 4.47 lakh students |
| Content basis | Ministry of Ayush yoga guidelines |
Impact
Short-term: Trained teachers return to their schools to begin regular yoga sessions under their headmasters, with progress logged on a digital platform.
Long-term: If sessions continue daily, a generation of students in government schools could grow up with a basic, practical yoga routine, and the model could be extended to more schools.
Who is affected: Students and teachers of PM SHRI and other government schools in Andhra Pradesh, school heads who must fit sessions into the timetable, and parents.
Key Takeaway
Andhra Pradesh is betting on trained in-school yoga leaders, two per PM SHRI school, to turn yoga from a once-a-year event into a daily habit for students.
Questions and Answers
How many teachers were trained, and where?
The programme was for 1,870 teachers, two from each of 935 PM SHRI schools in Andhra Pradesh, at Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad, over three days ending October 7, 2026.
What will students actually do in these sessions?
The training follows Ministry of Ayush guidelines, so sessions are built from warm-ups, Surya Namaskar, simple asanas, breathing practices, meditation and relaxation.
Who runs the programme?
Samagra Shiksha Andhra Pradesh, the state school education mission, organised it with the Heartfulness Education Trust, whose yoga academy provides expert support.
Is this linked to student mental health?
Yes. In September the state education minister asked officials to run awareness work on student stress and to bring yoga training to 963 government schools in a first phase covering about 4.47 lakh students.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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