Substance use disorder is an issue which is adversely affecting the social fabric of the country. Dependence to any substance not only affects the individual’s health but also disrupts their families and the whole society. Regular consumption of various psychoactive substances leads to dependence of the individual. Some substance compounds may lead to neuro-psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, as well as accidents, suicides and violence. Therefore, substance use and dependence needs to be viewed as a psycho-social-medical problem.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal Ministry for drug demand reduction in the country, which coordinates and monitors all aspects of drug abuse prevention, assessment of the extent of the problem, preventive action, treatment and rehabilitation of users, and dissemination of information.

This Ministry has initiated ambitious Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) and is currently operational in all districts of the country, intending to create awareness about the ill effects of substance abuse among the youth, with special focus on higher education institutes, university campuses, schools and reaching out into the community and garnering community involvement and ownership of the Abhiyaan.

Achievements of NMBA:

1. Till now, through the various activities undertaken on-ground, 23.06+ crore people have been sensitized on substance use including 7.73+ crore Youth and 5.18+ crore Women.
2. Participation of 16.92+ Lakh educational institutions has ensured that the message of the Abhiyaan reaches children and youth of the country.
3. 5.70+ lakh recovered substance users have become a part of the Abhiyaan through their involvement in diverse activities.
4. A strong force of 20,000+ Master Volunteers (MVs) have been identified and trained.
5. The number of de-addiction centres increased from 490 (2020-21) to 780+ (2025-2026), including 154 Addiction Treatment Facilities in government hospitals.
6. Every year, 26th June is observed as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, to spread awareness about ill effect of drug abuse.
7. An Impact assessment undertaken by UNDP disclosed that since the launch of the Abhiyaan in 2020, 64% of the respondents were aware of it, 76% reported that they felt the need for the Abhiyaan, 23% reported attending events and activities, and 50% of people knew accessible de-addiction centres through it.
8. NMBA Mobile Application developed to gather and collect the data of NMBA activities and represent on the NMBA Dashboard at district, state and national level.
9. The NMBA portal (www.nmba.dojse.gov.in) is a central pillar in these efforts, serving as a comprehensive platform that offers information, support, and engagement on critical issues related to substance use. One of the key features of the portal is the availability of a list of geo-tagged de-addiction centres across the country. This feature ensures that those in need can easily access the nearest facility for help and support.
10. A National Online Pledge to be Drug Free had 1.67+ Crore students from 99,595 educational institutions pledging to be drug free.
11. MoUs have been signed with six Spiritual/Social Service organizations like The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, All World Gayatri Parivar, ISKCON and Shri Ram Chandra Mission to support NMBA and conduct mass awareness activities and have reached 3.37 Crore+ people till date.
12. A Toll-free Helpline for de-addiction, 14446, is set up to provide primary counselling and immediate referral services to the persons seeking help through this helpline. More than 4.30 Lakh calls have been received, so far on the helpline number.
13. Sportspersons like Olympic Medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Sandeep Singh, Savita Poonia, and Aman Sehrawat have shared messages in support of the NMBA.
14. 'Nashe se Azaadi - National Youth and Students Interaction Programme', ‘Naya Bharat, Nasha Mukt Bharat’, ‘NMBA Interaction with NCC cadets officers were held and 700 officers were present physically. About 40,000 cadets present online across the country.
15. Implementation of NMBA in Border Areas by training of Border guarding forces with specialized modules and establishing de-addiction centres in these areas.
16. A mass pledge/oath on NMBA was conducted on 12th August, 2024 and a total of about 3+ crore people from 2+ lakh institutions participated in the nationwide pledge.
17. To mark the 5th anniversary of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), a special event was organised on 13th August 2025 by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with the Government of NCT of Delhi. Over 1,000 students from Delhi participated in person, with lakhs joining the pledge nationwide.
18. Intending to mobilise citizens across States and Union Territories to participate in the National Campaign for the 5th year celebration of NMBA from 1st August 2025, a series of competitive outreach and participatory activities were undertaken across the country to generate widespread awareness and foster citizen engagement.
19. As of November 08, 2025, 1,12,202 youth and students have participated in the quiz competition, reflecting the active involvement and enthusiasm of young people in promoting a drug-free India.
20. As part of the Participatory campaign, a total of 97,336 events were conducted across the country, reaching an overall outreach of 2.42 crore (1.43 crore were male and 1 crore were female) individuals. These include Slogan Writing, rangoli-making competitions, drawing competitions, pledge ceremonies, rallies, and marathons across schools, colleges, and community spaces.
21. The campaign recorded 16 lakh e-pledges and 1+ crore offline pledges, reflecting strong public participation.

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) has been embraced enthusiastically, with numerous awareness-generation activities being conducted across all states. A grand-scale culmination event celebrating five years of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is scheduled to be organized on 18th November, 2025, at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The event will be led by the Hon'ble Governor of Punjab and the Hon'ble Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment. It is expected that around 7000 participants will attend the event.

 The event aims to highlight the achievements of the campaign, mobilise community participation, and reinforce our collective efforts towards building a drug-free society. The program will feature a range of activities, including cultural events, online and offline oath against drugs and competitions at the school and college levels, apart from a mass rally.

 By publicizing and celebrating such events, the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment aims to motivate young people and citizens at large to stay away from drugs and embrace healthier, value-driven lifestyles.

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KV

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