Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Kiren Rijiju visited the Kendriya Vidyalaya at Andrews Ganj, here today to participate in Fitness Week Celebrations at the school. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken the initiative of observing Fitness Week in the second, third and fourth Week of November, as part of the Fit India Movement. Shri Santosh Kumar Mall, Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Anita Karwal, Chairman of CBSE and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. The students put on a grand display of hatha yoga, dance fitness, physical training drills as well as various indigenous sports. Shri Rijiju himself participated alongside the school children in traditional games like gilli danda, pitthu and archery.Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that celebrating fitness week at this time of the year is a very good step. He said, ‘’It is being organized across all Kendriya Vidyalayas and I will encourage private schools to do the same. Having a Fit India week in the month of November and December should be made mandatory across all schools.
Fitness is a very important part of a student’s life and as we look at integrating physical activity into the curriculum, we should find ways of how to devise a marking system for it”. Lauding the role of Kendriya Vidyalayas in promoting fitness the Minister said, “the report card that I have received from Kendriya Vidyalayas on their observance of fitness activities after the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Fit India Movement, has been the most encouraging amongst all schools”. Shri Rijiju also stated that there should be a technical evaluation and a progressive report card for fitness, because it is a very important part of a student’s life. “We want to see our children fit. Fit children are the future of our nation,” he added. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan was also honored for their role in the Fit India Plogging Run.The objective of the Fitness Week is to bring about a behavioral change in school children from spending “Passive Screen Time” to “Active Field Time” – by moving them away from computer screens to open fields. 22000 CBSE schools across the country and three abroad are participating in the movement.