After encouraging “stressed out” Government employees to adopt Yoga to help improve their concentration and performance at work, the Centre now wants them to take up adventure sports like mountaineering, rafting, safari, surfing, skiing and parasailing in order to de-stress.
According to a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) circular, the employees will have the option of availing one week’s paid leave to undertake such sporting activities. The DoPT has tied up with Government-recognised adventure sports institutes like Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, Manali-based Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, National Institute of Watersports in Goa, Gulmarg-based Indian Institute of Skiing and Mt Abu situated Swami Vivekanand Institute of Mountaineering.
The calendar of the programmes admissible under the scheme will be circulated by the DoPT from time to time.
The scheme will also have components of disaster management, capacity building, and Swachchh Bharat Campaign. The DoPT sources said that the Government was keen to implement such adventure sporting activities for Central Government employees based on the Japanese model of recreation for its bureaucracy.
The DoPT order dated December 4 says that the new scheme comes in the wake of several studies highlighting alarming stress and impact of sedentary life on Government servants.
“Participation in adventure sports will give the officials a platform where they would learn lessons from nature and use the knowledge acquired for welfare of society. The main aim also is to foster the spirit of risk-taking, cooperative team work, and readiness, vital response to challenging situations, endurance and environmental awareness. Overall, it would provide a creative outlet to the employees,” said the official.
The other activities under the programme also include trekking, rock-climbing, cycling in difficult terrain, sailing, snorkeling, ballooning, paragliding, jungle safari/trekking, desert safari/trekking, beach trekking etc.
On the occasion of International Yoga Day in June this year, the Government had encouraged Central Government employees to take Yoga classes to de-stress and rejuvenate themselves. The classes are being held routinely in the morning in the CGO complex at lodhi Road. Yoga training sessions are now being conducted in batches in association with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga.
The DoPT had said Yoga sessions will help bureaucrats maintain a “conducive frame of mind” and ensure a “harmonious well-being”.