Mangaluru (The Hindu): Mangalore University will have a permanent full-fledged yoga training centre attached to its Department of Human Consciousness and Yogic Sciences on its Mangalagangotri campus if the State government gives approval to a proposal and reserves Rs. 7 crore fund for it in the 2017-18 Budget.

According to sources in the university, a proposal was submitted to the government about five days ago with the recommendation of the district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai.

At the inauguration of a four-day international yoga teachers training at the university here on Thursday, K. Byrappa, Vice-Chancellor of the university, formally handed over the document of the proposal to Mr. Rai with a request to take it up with the government.

In his address, Mr. Rai, who hailed yoga as a prominent contribution of the country to the health sector, said that he would make all efforts to get the fund reserved.

The proposed training centre aims at arranging periodic short-term courses for health maintenance and offer yoga therapy to patients. The plan includes setting up a full-fledged laboratory for comprehensive health checks and recommend yoga therapy where needed.

The centre has proposed to offer training to employees of corporate and government sectors, police, foreigners, teachers and students and others on demand.

Mr. Byrappa, who addressed the gathering on the occasion, said that the Indian Embassy in Moscow has shown interest in getting a batch of Russian officials and technocrats trained in the university’s yoga department for a month.

“Counsellor for science and technology in the Indian Embassy in Moscow sent queries on Thursday,” Mr. Byrappa said.

Jong Soon Sue, Provost, Wonkwang Digital University, South Korea, spoke.

K. Krishna Sharma, head of the Yoga Department, Mangalore University, said that 250 yoga-related associations were being controlled by the Wonkwang Digital University in South Korea.

Earlier, at a workshop, S.D. Pathak, surgeon and Research Officer, physiology, scientific research department, Kaivalyadhama, Lonavala, made a presentation on anatomy and physiology of yoga analysis. H. Ganapathi Jois spoke on yoga for diabetes. In all, 29 South Korean nationals, pursuing yoga, are participating in the training programme with others.