New Delhi: The Narendra Modi Government has decided to institute the Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman in order to encourage the media to help propagate Yoga during the run-up to International Yoga Day on June 21.

Announcing this on Saturday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar acknowledged that the media has been engaged over the past four years in spreading the benefits of yoga and the award was being instituted as a further encouragement.

In all, 33 awards will be given out, 11 each in the three main formats — print, radio and television. Media houses working in all the 22 eighth schedule languages and English will be eligible for consideration of the awards, which includes a                     medal, trophy and a citation. Six juries will be set up to assess the coverage across media platforms from June 10 to June 25, Javadekar said.

The practice and propagation of yoga has led to healthy life, healthy living, wellness and prevention of disease. “Yoga is one of India’s gifts to the world and has become the mantra of New India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yoga has been universally acknowledged by the United Nations (UN) and is now practiced globally around 200 countries on June 21 every year,” he said.

Acknowledging the positive role and responsibility of media in disseminating the outreach of Yoga in India and abroad, the Minister said the Ministry of I&B has instituted the First Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) from this year to mark the contribution of media in spreading the message of Yoga.

The Samman will be given under the following categories:

* Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) to be conferred on Media Houses engaged in Print Media, Electronic (Television and Radio).

* Thirty-Three Sammans will be presented under three categories.

* Eleven Sammans to be conferred on 22 Indian languages and English under category – Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Newspapers.

* Eleven Sammans to be conferred on 22 Indian languages and English under category – Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Television.

* Eleven Sammans to be conferred on 22 Indian languages and English under category – Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Radio.