The Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh today said that regular practice of Yoga is very essential for the proper development of human persona and benefits of this traditional form of exercise and meditation is known since times immemorial.The Deputy Chief Minister was speaking at the concluding day of 2nd International Yoga Festival cum International Yoga Sports Championship 2017, organized by the Yoga Society of Kashmir at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre. About 300 participants from various parts of India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Canada, Bulgaria, U.S.A. and Nepal participated in this Festival. Dr Singh said that the practice of Yoga is prevalent in our society since ancient times and its benefits stand highlighted by national and international scholars and researchers, as a consequence of which it has been adopted in large scale by people of many western and Asian nations. He said it has also been recorded in our religious texts that the exercise and meditation are very essential for the overall wellbeing of mental and physical health besides fighting the ageing process, other ailments like depression and various diseases.“The onus of propagating this health-friendly concept should be on every individual so that the younger generation gets attracted to this, which would result in their mental and physical development and also thwart the danger of them getting swayed by other social evils,” he added.While appreciating the historical initiative and role played by Prime Minister in ensuring that this ancient art gets propagated on large scale both globally as well as nationally, the Deputy Chief Minister said it is due to his endeavors that Yoga is gaining tremendous acceptability and adaptability across the globe.“The Prime Minister who is himself a great exponent of Yoga has also been instrumental in ensuring that this traditional art of living was well received globally. This has connected other countries with India as Yoga is a gift of the Country to the world,” he added.The session was later followed by an interaction between the participants and the Yoga experts in which various health benefits of Yoga were discussed. Principal Secretary to Governor Umang Narula, Secretary (Technical) Health Dr Abdul Kabir Dar were also present on the occasion.Later, the Deputy Chief Minister distributed certificates and mementoes among the participants.