The Modi government had claimed that participation in the International Day of Yoga celebrations was voluntary but a document which appears to be the circular issued by IIT Roorkee declared its week-long yoga camp to be “compulsory” and forced students to attend it.
After the controversy over the purported circular broke on Monday, the institution, denied issuing any circular making attendance in the yoga camp mandatory.
A copy of the circular which is on the official letter head and has the signature of the Dean of the Students Welfare is with The Hindu .
“All the students of IIT Roorkee summer hostels are hereby directed to compulsorily attend one week Yoga camp from June 18, 2015 to June 24, 2015. Attendance in the yoga camp is mandatory and will be recorded on the spot every day,” says the circular. The Hindu has not verified the letter which was made available to it by a student.
But DSW Dinesh Kumar Nauriyal told the media that no such decision was taken by the institute nor was there any circular from the Ministry of Human Resource.
“However, my office did ask 2000-2,500 students staying in the summer hostels to participate in the camp,” Mr. Nauriyal said.
