Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 23 October 2025
A targeted awareness programme on substance abuse was recently held at Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), organised by the Directorate of Social Welfare under the national campaign Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA). First-year students of the B.A. Political Science course were in attendance, as the programme sought to sensitise youth on the damaging consequences of alcohol and drug use and to mobilise collective action towards a healthier, addiction-free society.
The session was spearheaded by the Project Assistant (NAPDDR) and included participation from officials of the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCA), the Anti‑Narcotics Unit (CID) and the Directorate of Health Services. Speakers provided detailed briefings on the objectives of the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) and NMBA, emphasising the importance of community participation, youth engagement and inter-departmental coordination in preventing substance abuse.
Under NAPDDR, prevention, awareness-generation, treatment and rehabilitation form the core pillars of action. Launched on 15 August 2020, NMBA is implemented nationwide with a focus on higher education institutions, schools and community outreach.
Officials at the JNRM event urged students to serve as ambassadors in their surroundings and stressed that building an addiction-free community is a shared responsibility that spans families, institutions and neighbourhoods.
