• India co-sponsored a UN General Assembly draft resolution that was unanimously adopted to proclaim December 21 as World Meditation Day.

• India, including Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mexico and Andorra, was a member of the core group of countries that guided the unanimous adoption of the resolution in the 193-member UN General Assembly on December 6.

• It also falls exactly six months after the International Day of Yoga commemorated on June 21, which is the Summer Solstice.

• December 21 marks the Winter Solstice. 

• The Summer Solstice is the day of the year with the longest period of daylight while the Winter Solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight.

• The resolution, introduced by Liechtenstein, was also cosponsored by Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Portugal and Slovenia.

• India’s instrumental role in the adoption of the resolution on World Meditation Day was a testimony to its firm commitment to overall human wellness and global leadership on this front in tune with civilisational dictum of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.

• The declaration of World Meditation Day comes at a time when various regions of the globe witness conflicts and growing tensions.

• Meditation is rooted in ancient practises and is an effective tool to achieve inner transformation and peace in the modern day.

• It is aimed at comprehensive human well-being, including mental, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions. It prepares human beings to cope with several modern-day issues such as heightened anxiety and stress and brings about harmony between mind and body, humans and nature.

• Modern science attests to the numerous benefits of meditation and its profound impact on our lives. It has been scientifically proven that regular meditation significantly reduces stress, and enhances cognitive and physical functions.

Why the UN observes International Days?

• The United Nations observes designated days, weeks, years, and decades, each with a theme, or topic. By creating special observances, the United Nations promotes international awareness and action on these issues. 

• Each international day offers many actors the opportunity to organise activities related to the theme of the day. Organisations and offices of the United Nations system, and most importantly, governments, civil society, the public and private sectors, schools, universities and, more generally, citizens, make an international day a springboard for awareness-raising actions. 

• The majority of observances have been established by resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, although some have been designated by UN specialised agencies. The United Nations also observes anniversaries of key events in its history.

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