Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar consoled his family members and assured them of all possible help from the defence ministry.
On the second International Yoga Day, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar joined soldiers in performing yoga in the Cantonment area in Kanpur and later met the bereaved family of Lt Colonel Pankaj Singh, who was killed in Arunachal Pradesh recently.
The minister reached Kanpur airport by a special plane this morning and spent around 20 minutes with the army officers, soldiers and their families while participating in a yoga programme at Garrison Ground.
Despite yoga being an "indigenous practice", the defence minister said most people in the country were unaware of its importance.
The minister also noted the potential of yoga as an employment generator besides a practice to keep people healthy.
"Today, the world looks at India as people everywhere want to adopt yoga as a part of their lifestyle. Yoga helps us keep healthy. It also has employment generation potential," said the defence minister.
He later visited the ancestral house of Lt Colonel Pankaj Singh in Vimannagar in Chakeri area of the city and paid tributes to him. Singh was killed in action in Arunachal Pradesh on June 13.
Mr Parrikar consoled his family members and assured them of all possible help from the defence ministry. He also offered Singh's wife, assistance in seeking a job if she so desired.
Asked the border dispute with China, Mr Parrikar said Indo-China "frontier" was "stable" and there have been no incidents of encroachment since last year.
The minister, however, chose not to answer queries about GST.