Jaipur, July 29 (IANS) Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde has called for a comprehensive statewide campaign under the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat (Drug-Free India)’ initiative, urging universities to play a proactive role in making the villages they have adopted free from substance abuse.
He stressed the need to identify areas with a high prevalence of drug abuse and undertake focussed interventions.
The Governor issued these directions while interacting with Vice-Chancellors of state universities through a video conference from Lok Bhawan on Wednesday.
Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education Department, Kuldeep Ranka, also attended the meeting.
Addressing the Vice-Chancellors, Governor Bagde instructed universities to identify individuals involved in selling narcotics around educational institutions and to work closely with law enforcement agencies to curb drug trafficking and prevent youth from falling into addiction.
He emphasised integrating the vision of a ‘drug-free village’ into the development initiatives undertaken by universities in their adopted villages. He advised university officials to regularly visit villages, engage with community leaders, monitor drug users and suppliers, and coordinate with the police to ensure effective action against substance abuse.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a ‘Drug-Free India’, the Governor encouraged universities to maximise student registration on the My Bharat Portal.
He informed the Vice-Chancellors that a 100-week nationwide campaign would be conducted through the portal, featuring rallies, workshops, awareness drives, and community outreach activities to strengthen the anti-drug movement.
Governor Bagde directed universities to actively implement these initiatives and make the campaign a sustained public movement.
During the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary Kuldeep Ranka outlined the activities to be undertaken by universities and higher education institutions across Rajasthan as part of the ‘Drug-Free India’ initiative.
