'Modi govt targets drug-free India by 2029'

The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, announced on Sunday that India aims to become a drug-free nation by 2029, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India. The government has devised a comprehensive roadmap to dismantle the narcotics network, tackling drug trafficking, financing, and rehabilitation. Shah highlighted that this drug-free objective is part of a broader strategy to achieve national security priorities.

Since 2019, a national coordination committee and dedicated anti-narcotics task forces have been established across all levels to ensure a coordinated approach against the drug menace. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been strengthened with enhanced manpower and operational capabilities. The government has integrated awareness, treatment, and rehabilitation with the anti-narcotics campaign, emphasizing that the fight against drugs extends beyond enforcement.

The three-year roadmap focuses on four pillars: intelligence and operation-based enforcement, control on synthetic drugs, demand and harm reduction, and capacity building. Shah also noted that the government's efforts against internal security challenges, including terrorism and insurgency, have led to significant progress, drawing parallels between the eradication of Left-Wing Extremism and the approach to be taken against narcotics.