Madhya Pradesh joins hands with Art of Living to advance sustainable goals and rural growth

In a step aimed at furthering sustainable development goals in Madhya Pradesh, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Art of Living Foundation.

The agreement was exchanged in the presence of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav at the Mantralaya on Tuesday.

The MoU was signed between the Department of Planning, Economics & Statistics and the Personality Development Centre of the Art of Living Foundation.

The partnership will focus on key areas such as water conservation, sustainable agriculture, rural livelihood generation, village development, women empowerment, environmental conservation, cow welfare (gaudhan promotion), de-addiction, health and social welfare, and quality education.

Officials said the initiative is designed to strengthen the state’s approach toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), foster public-private partnerships, and support effective policy formulation. It will also help in the evaluation of schemes and conducting surveys aligned with the Vision@2047 framework.

“The Art of Living Foundation, established by Padma Vibhushan Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji, is actively engaged in holistic and capacity-building initiatives,” the statement said.

Senior officials present during the MoU exchange included Shri Sanjay Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary (Planning, Economics & Statistics), Shri Rishi Garg of the State Policy Commission, and representatives from the Art of Living Foundation, Shri Rohan Jain and Shri Ajit Bhaskar.

The Art of Living Foundation is involved in multiple developmental sectors, including natural farming, afforestation, skill development, de-addiction, rural development, and prison reform. The foundation has also launched several programs targeted at police personnel, armed forces, scientists, youth, and educators.

In addition to its collaborations with various state governments, the Art of Living Foundation is working with Central ministries and departments. It has partnered with the Government of India’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the “Karmayogi Bharat” initiative to deliver capacity-building programs for government officials.