Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Sunday led the 89th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle in Surat, with the event focusing on the theme “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat” and promoting a healthy and substance-free lifestyle among the youth.
Mandaviya and Sanghavi, along with athletes, students and fitness enthusiasts, administered the Nasha Mukt Pledge, reaffirming their commitment to building a healthier and drug-free India. The initiative reinforced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for collective action under the Nasha Mukti Sankalp Abhiyan.
The Surat edition began at the Sardar Patel Statue at Mangadh Chowk, where participants took part in yoga, zumba, fitness activities and other challenges before undertaking a six-kilometre cycling ride towards Sarthana Zoo.
Addressing the gathering, Mandaviya said the Fit India movement had given rise to the nationwide Sundays on Cycle campaign and stressed that a healthy population was essential for a developed nation. He said cycling not only provided an effective form of exercise but also supported the campaign against substance abuse, helped reduce pollution and lowered fuel consumption.
“Cycling should not be limited to Sundays,” Mandaviya said, urging people to incorporate it into their daily routines, particularly for short-distance travel.
The nationwide 89th edition saw participation from more than five million people at over 25,000 locations, spreading the message of drug-free youth and a developed India.
Several prominent athletes also joined the cycling drive in Surat, including Padma Shri awardee and Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award recipient Achanta Sharath Kamal, former World No. 1 wrestler and Arjuna Awardee Sarita Mor, Arjuna Awardee and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Harmeet Desai, U-23 World Championships medallist Shivani Pawar, and Commonwealth and World Cadet Championship gold medallist Rahul Mann.
Fitness personalities and influencers, including Vispy Kharadi, Rakesh Saini, Urvi Parwani, Pankaj Pasi and Bhishma Madani, also participated in the event.
In New Delhi, the 89th edition was held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium with a special Teachers’ Day theme, honouring teachers and coaches for their contribution to shaping the lives and careers of young people. Around 1,000 students, youth and fitness enthusiasts took part.
The Delhi programme was attended by Fit India Champion Monica Bhola, yoga instructor and Fit India Ambassador Monika Sharma, and international athletics coach Havaldar Sanjay Singh.
The Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India, Raahgiri Foundation and MY Bharat. The campaign 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 and Khelo India Centres.
More than 6,000 NAMO Fit India Clubs also organise the cycling initiative every week across the country, making it a regular grassroots fitness movement.
