Subject: GS 02: Polity and Governance
Context: Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ to mobilise youth against drug abuse and promote a drug-free India.
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About Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan
- The campaign seeks to encourage young people to stay away from substance abuse and become ambassadors of positive change in their communities.
- Nodal Agency: The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
- 100-Week Campaign: It is designed as a 100-week nationwide Jan Bhagidari campaign, with activities organised every Sunday to sustain public awareness.
- Youth Participation: The campaign involves MY Bharat volunteers, NSS volunteers, youth clubs, schools, colleges and universities, along with NGOs and more than 125 spiritual organisations.
- Community Activities: Sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, street plays, awareness drives, discussions and art competitions are planned to promote prevention and community participation.
Drugs and Substance Use Problem in India
- Current Status: According to the National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use (2019), around 16 crore people aged 10–75 consume alcohol, while about 3.1 crore people currently use cannabis.
- Most Abused Substance:
- Alcohol is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance, with 14.6% of the 10–75 age group reporting use in the preceding year.
- Cannabis has an estimated 2.83% prevalence of current use, including bhang (2.02%) and ganja/charas (1.21%).
- Around 2.06% of the population currently uses opioids, including substances such as heroin, opium and pharmaceutical opioids.
- Drug-Trafficking Corridors: The Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand and Laos) and Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan) are major regional sources of illicit drugs affecting India.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) renamed the Golden Triangle as Death Triangle and the Golden Crescent as Death Crescent (to strip glamour & warn youth of drugs’ fatal impact).
- Guwahati Declaration: In July 2026, BRICS anti-drug agencies adopted the Guwahati Declaration, committing to coordinated action against illicit drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.
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Initiative Taken
- Kashi Declaration: Adopted at the Youth Spiritual Summit in Varanasi (2025), the Kashi Declaration serves as a 5-year guiding charter to address the psychological, cultural, and societal roots of addiction.
3 Aug 2026
