The ‘Fit India Week’ observed from November 15th to December 15th, to celebrate the Fit India Week Programme across the schools of Union Terrority of Jammu and Kashmir, saw an overwhelming response from the schools and students with 19,133 schools and 500,354 students participating in the programme. Under this Initiative, several activities were conducted in the schools across UT.

The Fit India Mission was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on 29th August, 2019 with a vision to encourage every Indian citizen to embrace Physical Fitness and make it an integral part of our daily lives bringing about behavioural changes and move towards a more physically active lifestyle.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is the Nodal Ministry to implement the Fit India Mission in coordination with Ministry of Education and other partner Ministries and institutions. The Fit India aims to encourage citizens to incorporate easy-to-do physical activities into their daily lives to help them remain healthy. Mission Fit India has been a success as it has become a people’s movement. 

How to Live’ ought to be the first pillar of Formal Education. This involves teaching and practicing the art of taking care of one’s body and health daily. Schools have to be the first formal institution after home where physical fitness is taught and practiced. 

The officials revealed that from April to November 2023, 3,197,144 students, 282,866 teachers, and 106,136 students from both government and private schools across the Union Terrority of Jammu and Kashmir participated in the Monthly Fit India School Activities across Jammu and Kashmir.

The Fit India mission, which was launched by the Prime Minister of India in the year 2019, has garnered a positive response from the students and teachers from the government and private schools across Jammu and Kashmir.

An official from the Samagra Shiksha J&K told Rising Kashmir that the Fit India Movement has been active in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Terrority since August 29th, 2019. Students, teachers of schools across all managements, officers, and all stakeholders have been participating in all activities launched by the Fit India Mission at the national level from time to time.

"The Directorate of Samagra Shiksha is the implementing Nodal agency of the Education Department for Fit India Mission in J&K. Both directorates are divisional nodal agencies for the implementation of the Fit India Mission," an official said.

The officials revealed that the activities conducted in the schools, t included Annual Sports Day, Importance of Fitness: Debate, Quiz, Essay Writing & Poster Making Competition, Indigenous Games, Fitness Assessment through Mobile App, Yoga & Mediation, and Fitness Pledge: by Teachers, Students, and Their Parents and Fit India Parents Teachers Meet.

As per the official figures of Samagra Shiksha ,in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Terrority, 4,130 schools and 137,315 students participated in the first week of Fit India Week 2023 from November 15th to November 21st, 2023. In the second week from November 22 to November 28, 2023, 4,973 schools and 142,536 students participated. In the third week from November 29 to December 5, 2023, 5,823 schools and 154,950 students participated. However, in the fourth week from November 6th to December 12th, 2023, 4,207 schools and 65,553 students participated in Fit India Week activities.

The data revealed that 16,625 schools across the Union Territory have already registered on the Fit India Portal for Fit India School Certification and have become entitled to Fit India Flags and Fit India Logos so far. 1,851 schools have applied for 3-Star Certification, whereas 535 schools have applied for 5-Star Certification on the Fit India Portal.

In the first quarter of April, May, and June months, 151,647, 332,161,806,506 students, and 16,254, 26,786, and 53,650 teachers of 9,241, 9,444, and 18,199 schools, respectively, participated in Fit India Movement and Special Yoga Training activities.

However, in the second quarter of the July, August, and September months, 238, 570,356,749,335 students and 19, 911,24,965,28,379 teachers from 9, 496,12,642,12,315 schools, respectively, participated in the Fit India Movement. Special yoga training activities and registration for the Fit India Quiz.

In the third quarter of the October and November months, 574,770, 401,132 students and 61,223, 51,698 teachers from 19,773,15,026 schools, respectively, participated in Fit India Week and other Fit India activities.

The data revealed that 680 schools in Jammu and Kashmir have already registered for the Fit India Quiz 2023. Out of 680 schools, 455 have already filled out the nominations of students for this quiz. Webinars to explain the process of appearing in the online quiz have been organised by NTA on December 12th and 13th, 2023, and mock tests from December 15th to December 17th, 2023, to familiarise the candidates with the process of appearing in the online quiz will be conducted by NTA. The NTA will be conducting the preliminary round of the Fit India Quiz 2023 online on December 21st and 22nd, 2023, all over India.