Centre sets 200-plus actions for drug-free India

New Delhi, India - The Indian government has announced a comprehensive three-year plan, set to run from 2026 to 2029, aimed at creating a drug-free nation by 2029. The roadmap, titled Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 2029, is a multi-pronged approach that covers various aspects of drug control and prevention. It is being spearheaded by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, with extensive input from central and state governments, law-enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations.

The action plan is divided into four key pillars: intelligence and operation-based enforcement, chemical and synthetic drugs, demand reduction, and harm reduction with capacity building and inter-agency coordination. Each pillar comprises specific components and an array of over 200 actions, covering everything from dismantling drug-trafficking networks to creating a network of 'Nasha Mukt Mitras' - young individuals committed to promoting awareness and preventing drug abuse.

The enforcement pillar emphasizes targeting drug-trafficking networks rather than individual seizures, with a plan to seize, freeze, and confiscate the financial assets of these networks. The chemical and synthetic drugs pillar focuses on identifying and dismantling clandestine laboratories, strengthening monitoring of precursor chemicals, and achieving 100% digital visibility of these chemicals from manufacturing to consumption.

The demand reduction and harm reduction pillar encompasses public awareness initiatives, measures to mitigate the harmful consequences of drug use, and the expansion of de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities. Meanwhile, the capacity building and coordination pillar aims to strengthen Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTFs), enhance forensic capabilities, and improve coordination between various agencies.

A crucial aspect of the campaign is the establishment of the National Committee for Coordination of Drug Trafficking (NCORD) and its Apex Committee, each headed by the Union Home and Cooperation Minister. The National Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will play a leading role in the campaign, with support from the Union Home Ministry and other agencies.

The roadmap also includes mobilizing young people through institutions like the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), and the My Bharat platform, with a target of creating one lakh Nasha Mukt Mitras.