Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today led the 85th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle from Hanol in Gujarat, with the nationwide fitness drive centred on the theme of ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ (Drug-Free India).
The event saw participants taking a collective pledge to stay away from substance abuse and promote healthier lifestyles under the campaign slogan, “Say yes to fitness, Say NO to drugs.”
Organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the Fit India Movement, the initiative seeks to encourage young people to adopt fitness and physical activity as a positive alternative to harmful addictions.
Calling Sundays on Cycle a mass movement, Mandaviya said the initiative has evolved into a major campaign supporting the Fit India vision. He said young people across more than 10,000 locations in the country have been using cycling to spread the message of fitness.
Launched in December 2024, Fit India Sundays on Cycle has so far attracted more than 30 lakh participants across the country.
In Delhi, the mega event was held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, where more than 1,000 participants took the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ pledge. They committed themselves to staying away from substance abuse and encouraging their families and communities to adopt healthier lifestyles.
The programme began at around 5:30 am with yoga, Zumba and other fitness activities. Participants later undertook a five-kilometre cycling ride around India Gate and Kartavya Path.
A game zone at the venue featured carrom, chess, ludo and badminton, while participants also took part in tug of war and an obstacle race.
Actor and model Siddharth Nigam, international squash player Gurveer Singh, IRS officer and Fit India Ambassador Narendra Kumar, and Fit India Champion and Zumba instructor Meenal Pathak were among those present at the Delhi event.
Nigam, who is also a gymnast and featured in Dhoom 3, said the initiative delivered a strong message to young people to replace harmful addictions with fitness, discipline and hard work. He urged people to stay away from drugs, cigarettes and alcohol and spend at least 30 minutes every day on physical activity.
Singh also lauded the initiative, saying Fit India and Nasha Mukt Bharat could play an important role in encouraging young people to embrace fitness and stay away from addictions.
Fit India Sundays on Cycle is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India, Raahgiri Foundation and MY Bharat.
The cycling drive is conducted simultaneously across states and Union Territories through SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence, SAI Training Centres, Khelo India State Centres of Excellence, Khelo India Centres and thousands of Namo Fit India Clubs, besides schools, colleges and cycling groups.
The initiative aims to strengthen the culture of fitness across the country while promoting healthy, active and substance-free lifestyles among the youth.
