New Delhi: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday led a 5.5-km cycle rally in Varanasi to promote fitness and raise awareness about substance abuse as part of the 94th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle.
Held under the theme “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat”, the event brought together more than 500 cyclists and over 1,000 other participants, according to an official statement.
The programme began at Namo Ghat with a meditation session led by Dr Nivedita Shreyans, director of Youth Affairs at the Heartfulness Institute, followed by a Kathak performance and a Zumba session.
Addressing participants, Mandaviya urged young people to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines and adopt healthier lifestyles. He also joined participants in taking the Nasha Mukt Bharat pledge against substance abuse.
The rally proceeded from Namo Ghat to Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, carrying the message of fitness and a drug-free society through the city.
Sportspersons who won medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were also felicitated during the event. They included Prachi Chaudhary, bronze medallist in the women’s 400 metres; Parul Chaudhary, who won bronze medals in the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase and 5,000 metres; Jay Kumar, a silver medallist in the mixed 4×400-metre relay and bronze medallist in the men’s 4×400-metre relay; and Raj Kumar Pal, a member of India’s gold-medal-winning men’s hockey team.
The event combined cycling, meditation, cultural performances and fitness activities to promote physical and mental well-being and encourage young people to avoid substance abuse.
