Role of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Music and Yoga Scheme in Promoting International Understanding: A Study Among International Students in India

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Music and Yoga Scheme performs as a crucial cultural diplomacy commitment aimed to foster international understanding among students from different countries studying in India. The initiative promotes significant cultural exposure, emotional wellness, and comprehensive personal growth by involving individuals living in India's diverse traditions of music and yoga. Music and yoga serve as universal mediums that overcome national and cultural confines, allowing students to engage deeper with Indian culture while exchanging their own traditions. The researcher utilized a mixed-methods strategy in this study, implementing a descriptive and explanatory research design to fulfill the research objectives. This study utilized random sampling, including a sample size of 373 international students enrolled in ICCR scholarships in India. This study utilized a questionnaire as the data collection method to analyze the data and evaluate the hypothesis using SPSS. The findings indicate that music and yoga act as powerful non-verbal cultural instruments that transcend language barriers, positively impacting students' social integration and their opinion of India's cultural diplomacy initiatives.