New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the nationwide ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’, calling upon young people to lead a mass movement against drug abuse and describing a drug-free generation as essential for achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.
Addressing more than one crore young participants connected virtually from over 28,000 locations across the country, the Prime Minister said the campaign was not merely about individual well-being but a national mission involving families, educational institutions, social organisations and communities.
According to an official release, the campaign, which evolved from a pilot initiative launched in Varanasi last year, has now become a nationwide movement with the support of more than 125 spiritual organisations, several non-governmental organisations and volunteers under the Kashi Declaration.
“Today, as the nation has set the goal of a Viksit Bharat, it is imperative that the country’s youth remain physically and mentally fit, brimming with self-confidence, and permanently steer clear of destructive habits like drugs,” Modi said.
He said the campaign would run for 100 weeks, with dedicated activities every Sunday focusing on sports, art, culture, meditation, spirituality and community service to spread awareness against substance abuse. “The coming 100 Sundays will become 100 strong steps towards a completely drug-free India,” he said.
Describing India’s youth as the “Amrit generation”, the Prime Minister said they would play the central role in shaping the country’s future over the next two decades. He noted that while young Indians were making remarkable achievements in fields such as startups, artificial intelligence, science, sports and space, drug addiction had the potential to destroy individual aspirations as well as weaken families and society.
“When a young person falls into addiction, it is not just one individual who loses. A dream dies, a family suffers and the strength of the nation is weakened,” he said, adding that hostile forces also exploit drug trafficking to harm India’s youth and social fabric.
Modi urged society not to normalise or socially accept substance abuse, warning that drugs may provide a temporary “high” but ultimately push careers and family life into a permanent “low”.
Highlighting the importance of rehabilitation, the Prime Minister said addiction should be treated as a health issue rather than a matter of social stigma. “Even if a youth has mistakenly fallen into the trap of addiction, it absolutely does not mean that all doors are closed for them,” he said.
He appealed to families not to conceal addiction due to concerns about social prestige but instead seek medical assistance and professional counselling. The Prime Minister also stressed the need for open communication between parents and children to identify behavioural changes before addiction takes hold.
Modi also called upon professors and teachers in colleges and universities to include discussions on the dangers of drug abuse alongside regular coursework and to lead anti-drug campaigns on campuses, saying such efforts could bring about meaningful change among students.
He urged society to support those who have successfully overcome addiction, describing them as “real warriors” whose courage should be recognised instead of allowing them to be stigmatised for their past.
The Prime Minister said governments at both the Centre and in the states were intensifying action against drug traffickers and smugglers through stricter enforcement, increased arrests and large-scale drug seizures. Expressing confidence in the success of the campaign, he said India’s youth would protect their energy by remaining free from addiction and help accelerate the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation.
