BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the 'Fit India' Movement', saying the initiative is the need of the hour and will take the country towards a healthier future.

At a colourful ceremony in New Delhi, the prime minister said technology has contributed to a sedentary lifestyle.

Modi said the younger generation grappling with lifestyle diseases including diabetes and hypertension is a worrying trend in the country.

“We hear sometimes a 12 or 15-year-old is suffering from diabetes or a 30-year-old has had a heart attack. These are lifestyle diseases and can be fixed with change in lifestyle.”

The prime minister said, "Fitness has always been an integral part of our culture. But there is indifference towards fitness issues today. A few decades back, a normal person would walk 8-10 km in a day, do cycling or run."

He added, “But with technology, people walk less now and the same technology tells them that they are not walking enough."

"We will take Fit India Movement to new heights with the cooperation of the people. I am so glad that this movement is being launched on the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, our hockey wizard," said Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.