Discuss how India has leveraged yoga as an instrument of soft power since 2014. Evaluate the role of the Ministry of Ayush in this trajectory.

Q. Discuss how India has leveraged yoga as an instrument of soft power since 2014. Evaluate the role of the Ministry of Ayush in this trajectory. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Soft power, in Joseph Nye's sense, is the ability to attract rather than coerce. Since 2014, India has converted yoga — a civilisational practice — into a state-backed diplomatic asset, institutionalised globally by UN Resolution 69/131 declaring 21 June the International Day of Yoga (IDY) [1], and domestically anchored in a dedicated Ministry of Ayush.

Yoga as an instrument of soft power - Multilateral legitimacy: India's proposal at the UNGA won a record number of co-sponsors, making yoga a UN-recognised observance rather than a unilateral claim [1]. - Cultural diplomacy: Annual IDY observances through missions abroad, alongside UNESCO's recognition of yoga as intangible heritage, project India's civilisational identity without hard-power costs. - Health diplomacy: Yoga is positioned as preventive healthcare — the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar links Indian traditional systems to global health governance. - Digital reach: In June 2026 a global online session drew 4,35,831 verified viewers, a Guinness World Record for the most viewers of a YouTube Live yoga stream [2], extending outreach beyond the diaspora.

Evaluating the Ministry of Ayush - Strengths: It standardised delivery through the 45-minute Common Yoga Protocol, an age- and gender-neutral sequence that makes mass simultaneous practice possible worldwide [3]; built institutional depth via MDNIY and NCISM; and coordinates across MEA, I&B and States, with Kolkata hosting IDY 2026 on the theme "Yoga for Healthy Ageing" [4]. - Limitations: Outreach remains event-centric, with viewership and headcount records substituting for measured behavioural change; the evidence base for clinical claims is still thin, inviting scepticism abroad; regulatory capacity over Ayush practice and products lags its promotional zeal.

Yoga has thus moved from cultural export to institutionalised statecraft, with the Ministry as its principal engine. The gains will endure only if spectacle gives way to substance — rigorous research, quality regulation, and year-round practice linked to SDG-3. Converting record viewership into everyday wellness is the next, decisive step.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. UNGA Resolution A/RES/69/131, International Day of Yoga (11 December 2014) — UN proclamation of 21 June as IDY; multilateral endorsement 2. PIB — Ministry of Ayush Creates New Guinness World Record for Largest Viewership of a YouTube Live Yoga Stream (14 June 2026) — 4,35,831 verified viewers; digital outreach 3. Common Yoga Protocol, Ministry of Ayush — 45-minute standardised, age- and gender-neutral sequence 4. PIB — International Day of Yoga 2026 Theme 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing' — IDY 2026 theme, Kolkata as main venue, preventive-health framing