The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) organised a regional workshop for Coaches, Physical Education Teachers and Sports Coordinators in Lucknow, where Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak inaugurated the programme. Held at La Martiniere College, the one-day event brought together nearly 320 participants representing all zones of the state to discuss school health, fitness and sports initiatives.The workshop combined the Active CISCE training programme for Coaches and Physical Education Teachers with the meeting of Coordinators of CISCE Games and Sports for the Uttar Pradesh region. It focused on preparing schools for the 2026–27 academic session through training on physical fitness assessment methods, implementation processes and programme updates.Workshop focused on fitness assessmentDuring the inaugural session, Brajesh Pathak said education should extend beyond academic performance and include physical fitness, sports and holistic development. He said physical health contributes to discipline, character building and the overall development of students.Participants received orientation on the Active CISCE framework, assessment protocols, newly introduced features and methods of integrating physical fitness into everyday school activities. The programme also provided a platform for Physical Education Teachers and Sports Coordinators to exchange experiences from the initiative’s first year of implementation.Uttar Pradesh records participation figuresAccording to CISCE, 498 of the state’s 523 affiliated schools registered for Active CISCE during the 2025–26 academic session, representing 95.20 per cent participation. Nearly 5.96 lakh students enrolled for the fitness assessments, while around 5.06 lakh completed them, resulting in an assessment completion rate of 84.97 per cent.National programme reaches over 31 lakh studentsChief Executive and Secretary of CISCE, Dr Joseph Emmanuel, said the programme aims to integrate physical well-being into mainstream school education and aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020.CISCE stated that more than 31.24 lakh students from over 3,300 affiliated schools in India and abroad have participated in Active CISCE. Of these, approximately 29.15 lakh completed their assessments, recording a national completion rate of nearly 93.54 per cent.The programme evaluates age-appropriate fitness indicators, including movement skills for younger children and speed, flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, core strength and body composition for older students. Each participant receives a Fitness Report Card. The event was also attended by Stephen D’Costa, Sudhir Joshi, Arijith Basu and Garry Everett.