University officials believe that the main factors behind the increase in admissions are Centre's emphasis on yoga and the increase in lifestyle disorders
India's first private Yoga university — Lakulish Yoga University — has witnessed a four-fold rise in admissions since 2013. A total of 667 students took admission in 2017 as against 152 students in 2013. University officials believe that the main factors behind the increase in admissions are Centre's emphasis on yoga and the increase in lifestyle disorders.
Recently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) also directed the vice-chancellors of all universities to give 'suitable preference' in admission to graduate courses in Physiotherapy to candidates having requisite knowledge in Yoga.
Interestingly, senior citizens dominated the first batch of PhD students at Lakulish Yoga University. Twenty-three of the total of 27 students were retired people, mostly working with the government.
The university had started its first PhD programme in Bhakti, Karma, and Gyan Yoga in December 2015, much ahead of the notification by the UGC asking colleges and universities to promote PhD courses in yoga and encourage foreign students to take up the course.
Speaking about the same, Chandrasinh Jhala, Vice-Chancellor, LYU, said, "Due to lifestyle changes, yoga has seen a spur in terms of interest from students across all ages. We had witnessed a very interesting trend in the first batch of Phd last year. Most of the people were retired government officials. The main reason behind this is that BKG yoga is more theoretical — mudra and mantra-based — which is easier for senior citizens to practice. PhD in Ashtang Yoga, on the other hand, requires a lot of physical strength to perform the various asanas."
In 2017, maximum applicants were received for yoga teachers training course, followed by Bsc in Yoga education, and MA in yoga education. In 2013, no one registered for the teachers training course; however, 39 students enrolled for it in 2014, followed by 260 in 2015, and 261 in 2016.
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The university had started its first PhD programme in Bhakti, Karma, and Gyan Yoga in December 2015, much ahead of the notification by the UGC asking colleges and universities to promote PhD courses in yoga and encourage foreign students to take up the course.
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