- Why in news
- On 25 March 2026, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a joint advisory to all States and UTs. It carries a three-year Action Plan for "Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya" under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
- What it is
- Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is a national campaign against drug abuse, run mainly through awareness, community outreach and treatment linkages. It was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2020 and focuses on vulnerable youth and higher educational institutions. The Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya plan extends this effort to schools.
- Issued by
- A joint advisory from the Home Secretary and the Secretary of School Education and Literacy went to the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs.
- Drug-free zone
- The area within 500 metres of schools is to be declared a drug-free zone. The school head or nodal teacher must report violations to local authorities, including the police.
- Origin of the plan
- The plan follows directions at the 9th Apex Meeting of NCORD, chaired by the Union Home Minister. Departments were asked to prepare a roadmap up to 2029 with time-bound review.
- Implementation machinery
- States and UTs are to designate State and District Nodal Officers and set up monitoring with convergence across departments, including law enforcement.
- Coverage
- The plan is to be disseminated across both Government and Private schools.
Don’t confuse with NCORD vs NCB: NCORD is a coordination mechanism among drug law enforcement and related agencies. The Narcotics Control Bureau is the enforcement agency under the Home Ministry.
Don’t confuse with Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan vs NDPS Act: The Abhiyan is a demand-reduction awareness campaign. The NDPS Act, 1985 is the criminal law that prohibits narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Schools offer early intervention, as adolescents are most at risk of starting substance use.
- Joint action by the Home and Education ministries links prevention with law enforcement.
Problems
- Education is a Concurrent List subject, so results depend on State capacity and will.
- Teachers may lack counselling training, and reporting to police risks stigmatising students.
Way forward
- Train teachers and school counsellors, and link schools with de-addiction and mental health services.
- Track outcomes with district-level data and review them regularly, with a focus on support rather than punishment for students.
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q20Linkages between drug trafficking, gunrunning, money laundering, human trafficking; counter-measures.
- 2019Mains GS4 · Q11Handling a frontier district's narcotics menace, linked to money laundering and poppy farming.
- 2024Mains GS3 · Q9How narco-terrorism threatens the country and measures to counter it.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Three-year action plan for drug-free schools with 500 m drug-free zones; lasting campaign, but few testable facts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.