Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana achieved a significant national milestone in the “Nasha Mukt Yuva-Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan,” a nationwide anti-drug pledge drive launched virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 2. Under the guidance of Haryana Governor Prof. Aseem Kumar Ghosh and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the state recorded the highest institutional participation across India. The flagship state-level event held at Kurukshetra University emerged as the largest single assembly among all participating universities nationwide, establishing a benchmark for youth engagement in public health initiatives.
The state-level gathering at the Kurukshetra University auditorium brought together over 3,200 students, faculty members, and youth representatives who simultaneously took the pledge for a drug-free India. Governor Prof. Aseem Kumar Ghosh attended as the chief guest, facilitating the pledge administration following Prime Minister Modi’s live address. Addressing the assembly, Governor Ghosh highlighted that youth empowerment forms the backbone of the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision, urging students to lead community awareness campaigns against substance abuse across the state.
Following directives from the Central Government requesting state governors to preside over primary regional events, Haryana transformed the national initiative into a sustained statewide public movement. The Haryana government has outlined an administrative roadmap to conduct continuous anti-drug awareness programs over the next 100 weeks. The structured campaign aims to foster social consciousness against drug abuse and ensure community outreach extends across all districts.
Nationally, the drive encompassed over 28,000 locations, with more than one crore young citizens taking the pledge simultaneously. Haryana’s multi-departmental coordination—led by Youth Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, and Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam—played a key role in driving high participation figures. The joint execution involved the Department of Higher Education, the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, MY Bharat, the National Service Scheme (NSS), the National Cadet Corps (NCC), and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).
