Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, provided a brief overview of the year’s achievements: “Over 2 lakh locations, more than 20 lakh people. One Mission – Fit India. Celebrating 1 year of #SundaysOnCycle,” he shared on X on Sunday morning.
Over 1,500 cyclists from various backgrounds, including school students, NaMo Cycling Clubs, and Puducherry University students, turned the picturesque Rock Beach in Puducherry into a vibrant fitness festival. This event highlights cycling’s increasing national significance and popularity.
Padma Bhushan and Khel Ratna awardees P R Sreejesh and Sharath Kamal joined the youth on the ride, inspiring participants to embrace sports and fitness.
Anniversary Celebrations
The first anniversary of Fit India Sundays on Cycle in Puducherry became a colorful fitness festival, featuring fun games and activities such as Zumba, carrom, chess, mallakhamb, silambam, yoga, and rope skipping. Coinciding with World Meditation Day on December 21, the event underscored that fitness is essentially “Meditation in Motion.”
The Sunday morning event gathered notable figures, including Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Legislative Assembly Speaker R. Selvam, Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam, and other officials, along with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who launched the first event in New Delhi a year ago.
Mandaviya addressed the crowd, sharing how Fit India Sunday on Cycle has evolved from a modest beginning into a nationwide movement.
“When we started this initiative a year ago, it was organised at just five locations with about 500 participants. Today, more than 10,000 locations across the country participate every Sunday, with over 10 lakh citizens joining regularly. It has become a passion, a culture and a powerful solution for pollution. Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also helped in turning this movement into a nationwide fight against obesity,” he stated.
Significant Messages from Leaders
Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan described the initiative as a timely message for society. “Mandaviya’s own village in Bhavnagar Gujarat has only 4000 residents, and everyone there commutes by cycle—no other two-wheelers or four-wheelers. As citizens, we often don’t realize how small lifestyle changes can collectively make a big difference for the environment, especially in terms of reducing the carbon footprint,” he remarked.
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy praised the Fit India Movement’s role in promoting accessible fitness for all. “Cycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to stay healthy. Only when our body is fit can we achieve our goals in life. I truly appreciate the Prime Minister’s vision behind the entire Fit India movement,” he noted.
Nationwide Participation and Activities
Today, more than 10,000 locations across the country hosted events organised by the Sports Authority of India and Khelo India centres. Events took place in Hazaribagh, Kargil, Patiala, Lucknow, Golaghat, Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, Hisar, Tinsukia, Visakhapatnam, Kashipur in Uttarakhand, Cuttack, among others, with various banks serving as special partners.
The gathering also included Arjuna Award-winning archers Jyothi Surekha and Abhishek Verma from SAI Sonipat. NaMo Fit India Cycling Clubs and My Bharat volunteers played a crucial role in enhancing Sundays on Cycle.
Innovative Initiatives Launched
The event in Puducherry featured the launch of the much-anticipated Fit India Mobile App Carbon Credit Incentivization, aimed at encouraging cycling enthusiasts. Three cyclists who achieved the highest carbon credits—Bharatbhai Parmar, Shashikant Veerkar, and Govind Singh—were honoured during the event.
Citizens have the option to cycle and earn carbon credits, which they can redeem later. “From now on, every month, cyclists from every State and Union Territory will be mapped through the Fit India mobile app, and the top three performers will be incentivised. This is to encourage and reward citizens for adopting cycling as a daily habit,” Mandaviya added.
Fit India Ambassadors and Influencers actively supporting the ‘Sundays on Cycle’ initiative were also recognized, including Nidhi Nigam, Aishwarya Raj (Champion), along with ambassadors Dr. Shikha Gupta, Yukti Arya, mountaineer Divya Arul, and Tamil Nadu Cycling State champion Siva Senthil.
Cycling as a National Movement
Indian hockey’s Sreejesh, known as the ‘wall,’ provided insight into the cycling movement. “Being fit is not about training for medals alone; it is about building discipline and balance in everyday life. Cycling is a simple habit, but when adopted collectively, it builds a healthier society and a stronger nation. I’m happy that Union Sports Minister’s Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative has transformed fitness into a people’s movement where families, youngsters, and professionals participate with equal enthusiasm,” said the Padma Bhushan awardee.
As cyclists set off along Puducherry’s scenic coastline, the anniversary edition clearly demonstrated that Sundays on Cycle has evolved from an event into a nationwide movement promoting fitness, sustainability, and community involvement across India.