From April 1, India’s three million civil servants will be offered free daily yoga classes in an effort to transform the work culture of long lunches and arriving late to work.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office in May last year, is an avid yoga practitioner, a teetotaller and a vegetarian. He credits his strict for his ability to work long hours on just four or five hours’ sleep.

Since coming to power, Modi set up a ministry for the ancient practices of yoga and Ayurvedic practices. Earlier this year, the UN adopted his proposal that June 21 be named International Day of Yoga.

• This article was first published in Sunday Times: Business Times

 

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