HYDERABAD: Despite growing interest among the people about yoga, coupled with the initiatives taken up by the Central and State governments to celebrate and promote yoga, not a single educational institution in the State -- be it Central, State or private -- offers an academic course in the same.

While the Andhra University in the neighbouring State has a full-fledged department dedicated to yoga -- that offers a certificate course, PG diploma, two-year Masters course and even a PhD, apart from conducting research projects in yoga -- the 100-year-old Osmania University does not have any courses on the subject.

“There is no denying that yoga has gained immense popularity both nationally and internationally. But at OU, we do not have any special course on yoga. Currently, only MPEd students have a paper called Yogic Science. We had submitted a proposal for starting a proper Post Graduate Diploma in Yoga some 4-5 years ago, but it has not been approved yet,” said Prof K Deepla, chairman, Board of Study, University College of Physical Education, OU. 

He added that though yoga is a popular and a subject worthy of being taught in the university, OU does not even conduct regular yoga camps. “The camps are conducted only on special occasions,” he said.

Prof V Venkat Ramana, the vice-chairman of Telangana State Council of Higher Education, agreed that while people in the city had made yoga a way of life, apart from short-term courses, there were no full-fledged courses for the discipline in any of the State varsities. 

Dr Malathi Syamala, director, Vemana Yoga Research Centre, however, is not in favour of institutions offering certificate courses in yoga. Calling it an evidence-based scientific course, she said the yoga should be taught as a full-fledged course where physiological and pathological aspects were discussed. 

“The flip-side of the popularity of yoga has been the fact that people are now taking up certificate courses and calling themselves yoga experts. The course should focus on physiology, anatomy, philosophy, therapeutic yoga and kriya. The only solution is to set up a separate yoga university,” she said.