New Delhi, Sept 8: The Centre is set to mobilise more than 10 crore citizens for a nationwide mass pledge against drug abuse by the end of this month to mark the sixth anniversary of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA).
The initiative was discussed at the third high-level coordination meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday, chaired by Joint Secretary (Drug Prevention) in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Sandeep Rewaji Rathod. The meeting reviewed a comprehensive strategy to secure participation through both physical and online modes.
Officials said the nationwide pledge would form a major part of the anniversary programme and seek to bring together government departments, educational institutions, public sector organisations, volunteers, civil society groups and other stakeholders around the objective of creating a drug-free society.
The Ministry has set a target of involving more than 10 crore people in the pledge, reflecting an effort to take the anti-drug campaign beyond government institutions and build wider community participation.
Dr Rathod stressed the need for a “whole of the government” and “whole of the society” approach to address substance abuse, which affects people across sections of society. He said collective participation was essential to sensitise citizens about the dangers and challenges associated with drug abuse.
The coordination meeting was attended by senior representatives of various ministries and departments, who reviewed preparations and their respective roles in mobilising participants for the pledge.
Officials discussed organising pledge ceremonies across affiliated offices, educational institutions, autonomous bodies, public sector undertakings and field formations under different ministries and departments. These include Railways, Defence, Civil Defence, Youth Affairs and Sports, School and Higher Education, Posts, Police, Central Armed Police Forces, NCC, AYUSH, Rural Development, Health and Family Welfare and Revenue departments.
The Centre also plans to involve social, voluntary and spiritual organisations as well as social influencers in the campaign to broaden its reach.
A uniform reporting mechanism for recording participation and outreach was also discussed at the meeting. Officials reviewed a coordinated implementation plan through a detailed presentation, followed by deliberations among representatives of the participating ministries and departments.
The National Mass Pledge is intended to encourage citizens to stay away from drugs while fostering a sense of individual and collective responsibility. It also seeks to encourage volunteers to reach out to people affected by substance abuse and promote greater community involvement in prevention and rehabilitation efforts.
A particular focus will be placed on encouraging young people to contribute to efforts aimed at building a drug-free society.
The Ministry also highlighted the government’s de-addiction helpline, 14446, and urged greater public awareness about the availability of support services for people seeking help for substance abuse.
Alongside the pledge campaign, the ministry is seeking to strengthen its network of community volunteers through the Nasha Mukti Mitr initiative. Citizens can register as Nasha Mukti Mitras to participate in community-based efforts against drug abuse.
The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on August 15, 2020, with the objective of reducing demand for drugs through prevention, awareness, treatment, rehabilitation and community participation.
The campaign is being implemented as part of the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), under which the ministry provides financial assistance to state governments, Union Territories, NGOs and government hospitals for preventive education, awareness campaigns, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.
According to the ministry, the campaign has so far reached more than 34.42 crore citizens through nationwide awareness activities, including over 13.64 crore youth and 10.58 crore women. More than 1.65 lakh Nasha Mukti Mitras have also joined the campaign.
The ministry said it was working to improve access to treatment services through technology as well. The NMBA 2.0 mobile application enables citizens to locate the nearest de-addiction centre, with the aim of making treatment and support more accessible.
The government has also stressed the need for sustained rehabilitation infrastructure, preventive interventions and community participation as part of its broader strategy to address substance abuse.
The mass pledge planned for later this month is expected to bring these efforts together through a single nationwide mobilisation, with the Centre seeking participation from millions of citizens in both physical ceremonies and online registration.
The initiative is being positioned as a major public campaign to reinforce the message against drug abuse while encouraging citizens, particularly young people, to take personal responsibility and contribute to a drug-free and socially inclusive India.
