Baripada 10/04: A 72-day countdown program for the International Day of Yoga has been organized by the Center for Distance and Online Education (CDOE) of Maharaja Sriramchandra Bhanjdeo University on Friday, 2026. Following the guidelines issued by Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi, this program was organized to increase awareness about Yoga among students, faculty and public and encourage its adoption for overall health, mental well-being and social harmony. As part of the programme, a general yoga protocol practice session was held at the university’s indoor stadium in which Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mahendra Kumar Mohanty attended as the chief guest. In his speech, Prof. Mohanty highlighted the importance of yoga for good health and inspired the students to practice yoga daily. In this session Prof. Kamal Lochan Barik, Chairman of Undergraduate Council, Prof. Sukant Kumar Naik, Director of CDOI, local corporator Mr. Shiv Shankar Pange, Prof. M. Himbindu, Prof. Pramod Kumar Shetpathi, Prof. Pushpanjali Parida and other eminent persons were present. In this session, 90 school students, 116 college students, 384 university students and 31 employees, a total of 621 people practiced yoga. Program coordinators and trainers Dr. Sujata Panda, Dr. Himanshu Parida, Dr. Sujata Jena, Dr. Saga Mantri and Mr. Kamal Baitha conducted the yoga practice. Dr. Pratap Kumar Jena, Deputy Director of CDO, proposed the vote of thanks. As part of the preparations for the countdown programme, a yoga competition was organized for students of schools, colleges and universities and university staff in the first half on Thursday. In the second half, a seminar on the theme “Yoga for Health, Wisdom and World Peace” was attended by Dr. Dinesh Prasad Swaymen, Professor and Head of Yoga Science, AIPH University, Bhubaneswar, and Dr. Bharat Kumar Panda, Professor and Head, Department of Education and Physical Education, Odisha Central University, as speakers, discussing the scientific, medical and preventive aspects of yoga, stress management, prevention of lifestyle disorders, mental health, He highlighted the role of yoga in promoting inner peace and world harmony. All the faculty members of CDOI participated in the program management.