AYUSH Invites Applications for Prime Minister’s Yoga Awards 2026, ₹25 Lakh Prize

The Ministry of AYUSH has invited applications for the Prime Minister’s Awards for Yoga 2026, offering each awardee a trophy, a certificate and a cash award of Rs. 25.00 lakh, and said the felicitation ceremony will coincide with the International Yoga Conference. Multiple outlets reported the invitation on February 25, 2026 and the Press Information Bureau released language describing the awards as recognising “exemplary contributions toward the development and promotion of Yoga at both National and International levels.”

The awards are listed in two formal categories. Category–I is Prime Minister’s Awards for Yoga - Individuals (National/International) with the public notice listing “Two Awards.” Category–II is Prime Minister’s Awards for Yoga - Institutions (National/International) and likewise shows “Two Awards.” The PIB text repeats the package each awardee will receive and frames the awards as “celebrating individuals and institutions whose sustained work has expanded Yoga’s impact worldwide.”

Eligibility and nomination rules in the procedural materials specify that “an application, complete in all respects, can be made by the applicant directly or they may be nominated by a prominent yoga organization for consideration under this Award process.” Applicants or nominees “should have a rich experience in and deep understanding of Yoga,” and an applicant can be nominated for only one award category in a given year. The InnovateIndia/MyGov guidance notes the Screening Committee is constituted annually by the Ministry of AYUSH and “shall recommend a maximum of 50 names for each of the Awards – National & International.”

Submission logistics in the available notices point applicants to the National Awards Portal for filing entries and list standard entry-form requirements such as complete postal address, email, telephone number, mobile number and fax where applicable. At the same time, publicly viewable pages show inconsistent deadline information: a PM India notice page references “Submission is open till 15 April 2025” while a consulate page in Chicago instructs applicants to “submit your application by scanning the QR code on or before April 15, 2025,” and an InnovateIndia procedure page contains an older example deadline of 30 April, 2021. Because those dates span multiple award cycles, the current final submission deadline for the 2026 call is not unambiguously present in the circulated excerpts.

The Ministry’s public materials also outline selection safeguards: the Ministry may seek clarifications on documents submitted, it reserves the right to reject late entries, and “Grievances, if any, shall be addressed by the Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, whose decision in the matter shall be final and binding.” The PIB language closes with an explicit aim that the awards “By recognising excellence and dedication in advancing Yoga’s development and promotion, the awards aim to inspire broader participation, innovation and leadership in the field.”

Winners will receive the announced trophy, certificate and Rs. 25.00 lakh prize and be felicitated around the International Yoga Conference; prospective applicants should consult the Ministry of AYUSH / PIB announcement and the National Awards Portal for the confirmed 2026 submission window and application flow before filing.