AGARTALA, Dec 21 (TIWN / IANS) The Tripura government will introduce yoga as a subject in schools from classes one to eight from the next academic year beginning January, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said here on Monday.

"Yoga would be introduced as a subject in government-run and government-aided schools from classes one to eight from next academic year beginning January," Sarkar said, addressing a function organised in connection with a state-level yoga competition.

He said: "Due to shortage of yoga trainers and teachers, it would not be introduced in all schools from the next academic year. All schools under a block would be made into a cluster for teaching yoga."

The state's school education and sports and youth affairs departments has already drawn up a plan for this purpose, the chief minister said.

He urged the yoga associations to help the government in making the plan a success.