The Andhra Pradesh government has launched an elaborate programme titled 'Yogaandhra-2026' to mark International Yoga Day on June 21, setting a target of engaging one crore citizens across the state in yoga activities, from village level to the state capital.

The flagship event will be held in Amaravati, where 25,000 participants are expected to gather for a state-level yoga session. In the fortnight leading up to the day, awareness drives, walkathons, social media campaigns, and demonstration events will be conducted under the Yogaandhra banner from June 7 to June 20.

District-wise thematic approach

In what officials describe as a distinctive feature of this year's observance, each of the state's 28 districts has been assigned a specific community or occupational group as its theme. NTR district will conduct sessions with police personnel, while East Godavari will involve prison inmates. Visakhapatnam's programme is themed around serving and retired defence personnel, and Alluri Sitarama Raju district will focus on tribal communities.

Other notable pairings include Kurnool with sanitation workers, Tirupati with celebrities, Anantapur with persons with disabilities, and YSR Kadapa with multi-generational family participation. Guntur district's sessions will centre on engineering students, while Prakasam will engage DWACRA women's groups. Each district headquarters is required to ensure a minimum of 1,000 participants.

Infrastructure and digital outreach

Competitions in yoga will be held at village, mandal, district, and state levels, with participation open to students, athletes, women's self-help groups, health workers, and industrial labourers, among others. Venues including schools, parks, community halls, stadiums, and gram sachivalayams will be equipped with drinking water, seating, and temporary shelters.

Oversight of the programme at the district level has been entrusted to the respective Collectors. The Tourism Department has been directed to organise special yoga demonstrations at more than 100 tourist sites across the state.

To streamline participation, the government plans to develop a dedicated web portal and an AI-based registration and verification application. Digital certificates will be issued to all participants upon completion.

VIJAYAWADA, May 3: Persons with disabilities are in no way inferior to their colleagues in the discharge of official duties, and with the resolution of minor workplace difficulties and provision of adequate opportunities, they can demonstrate even greater capability — this was the assertion of Andhra Pradesh NGGО State president A. Vidyasagar at the election of the new executive committee of the Andhra Pradesh Hearing Handicapped Employees Association (APHHEA), Amaravati, held on Sunday.

The elections were conducted at the AP NGO Home in Gandhinagar, Vijayawada, where a 17-member executive committee was returned unopposed.

Addressing the newly elected members, Mr. Vidyasagar said the AP NGGО has consistently worked towards the welfare of employees with diverse abilities and the redressal of their grievances, with particular attention to securing their rights. He added that improving communication facilities and workplace infrastructure in government offices would directly enhance the performance and productivity of hearing-impaired employees. He also noted that the government remains committed to the advancement and well-being of employees with disabilities.

New executive committee

The election results were formally declared by returning officer and AP NGGО State general secretary A. Ranjith Kumar Naidu. Acknowledgements were extended to election observers L. Rajanish Babu and assistant returning officer Ashok Babu.

The following were elected unanimously for a three-year term: V. Kumar (president), A. Venkat Reddy (associate president), A. Kanna (general secretary), and SK. Imam Khasim (treasurer). The vice-presidents elected are Ch. Ravi Kumar, P.H. Sriramudu, M. Ravi Durgaprasad, and K. Satyanarayana. M. Shiva Naga Santhosh was elected executive secretary. R. Srinivasarao, P. Lakshmi, M. Vijaya Prasad, and D. Sathish were elected joint secretaries, while T.T. Durgaprasad, V. Deva Rajulu, G. Srinivasarao, and S. Kishor were elected as secretaries.

The returning officer expressed confidence that the new committee would work tirelessly for the welfare of hearing-impaired government employees across the State.