New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju will launch the 100-day countdown to the seventh International Day of Yoga on Saturday morning, according to an official statement on Friday.

Rijiju, the minister of state for youth affairs and sports, has been temporarily assigned the charge of the Ministry of AYUSH since Shripad Yesso Naik has been undergoing treatment following an accident.

A common yoga protocol-based activity will be inaugurated and live-streamed at various social media platforms of the ministry and sister its organisations.

"The ministry hopes to kindle a mass movement for health and wellbeing through yoga in the 100-day run up to the International Day of Yoga-2021.

"At a time when the country and the world are focused on recovery from the pandemic, such a movement would be highly relevant and contribute significantly to the recovery from COVID-19, lending greater focus to public health, preventive medicine and personal care on both physical and mental fronts," a statement said.

International Day of Yoga is held on June 21. It has been recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014 by a unanimous vote.

Every year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself leads the nation in observation of Yoga Day, the AYUSH Ministry statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)