Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ (Drug-Free Youth for Developed India Pledge Campaign), a major nationwide initiative aimed at freeing India’s youth from substance abuse and building a healthy foundation for the country’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Addressing a massive virtual gathering via video conference, PM Modi connected with more than one crore young people from over 28,000 locations across the country. Participants included MY Bharat volunteers, NSS volunteers, students from schools, colleges and universities, youth clubs, NGOs, industry associations, and representatives from more than 125 spiritual organisations. Several Chief Ministers, Governors, and public representatives also joined the event.
Before the Prime Minister’s address, youth participants took a collective pledge for a drug-free India. Modi described today’s youth as India’s ‘Amrit Peedhi’ (generation of nectar), who will lead the nation to Viksit Bharat by 2047 and enjoy its benefits. He stressed that achieving this vision requires a physically healthy, mentally robust, and confident younger generation free from self-destructive habits. ‘Drugs can give you a high for some time, but it makes your entire career and personal life low,’ he said, urging young people to protect their potential and stay alert against addiction.
The Prime Minister linked substance abuse to broader threats, stating that the supply of drugs forms part of hostile nations’ strategies to weaken India and hurt its interests. He called for collective action involving individuals, families, society, and the nation. PM Modi appealed to families not to hide addiction cases due to stigma but to seek timely medical and expert help, and urged society to respect and support those recovering from addiction as ‘fighters’ deserving a second chance.
He also noted intensified government action against drug traffickers, with rising arrests and seizures of narcotics worth thousands of crores. The campaign builds on the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan launched in 2020, and a pilot project started in Kashi (Varanasi) last year under the Kashi Declaration. It is designed as a sustained 100-week Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation) movement.
Every Sunday for the next 100 weeks, youth-led activities, including sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, street plays (nukkad nataks), discussion forums, art competitions, and community outreach, will be organised nationwide to spread awareness and promote healthy lifestyles.
Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted concerns over rising drug seizures and illegal cultivation, underscoring the need for aggressive, youth-led action. The initiative seeks to turn young people into ambassadors of positive change in their communities while strengthening support systems for recovery.
PM Modi concluded by urging every citizen, especially the youth, to join the movement. ‘The coming 100 Sundays will absolutely become 100 strong steps in the direction of a completely drug-free India,’ he said.
The campaign marks one of the biggest youth-focused efforts against substance abuse in the country, aligning personal well-being with national development goals.