India created record by destroying 10 lakh kg of drugs

India created record by destroying 10 lakh kg of drugs

Subject :Schemes

Context:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India had created a unique record of destroying 10 lakh kg of drugs worth ₹12,000 crore in the past one year. Just about two weeks ago, 1.5 lakh kg of seized drugs were destroyed.

Details:

• On August 15, 2020, the Centre had launched “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan”, which had so far reached more than 11 crore people.
  • Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment which is the Nodal Ministry for Drug Demand Reduction has formulated and launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) on 15th August 2020, in 272 Districts across 32 State/Union Territories identified as most vulnerable in terms of usage of drugs in the country.
  • These vulnerable districts were identified on the basis of findings from the Comprehensive National Survey and the inputs provided by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• Successful example:
  • Madhya Pradesh’s Bichharpur village in Shahdol was infamous for illicit liquor. Despite limited resources, Raees Ahmed, a former national player and coach, started teaching football to the local youth.
  • Within a few years, football became popular in the village, now known as “Mini Brazil”.
  • A programme called “Football Kranti” is also being implemented there.
• In Uttar Pradesh, a record of planting 30 crore saplings in a single day had been made as part of a public participation campaign started by the State government.

Government initiative:

• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has been implementing the Central Sector Scheme for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse since 1985-86 with the objective of creating awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of alcoholism and substance abuse and for providing a whole range of community based services for identification, motivation, counselling, deaddiction, after care and rehabilitation for Whole Person Recovery (WPR) of substance and alcohol users.
• The Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment has conducted the first National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India through National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi during 2018.
• The MoSJ&E formulated and enacted the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) (2018- 2025).
• The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985 was enacted to control and regulate narcotic drugs.
• The Government of India has also brought out a National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in 2012 to serve as a guide to various Ministries/Departments, State Governments, International Organisations, NGOs, etc. and re-assert India’s commitment to combat the drug menace in a holistic manner.
• Constitutional provision:
  • Article 47 of the Constitution provides that “The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the State shall endeavor to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health.”
• India is a signatory to the three UN Conventions namely:
  • Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961,
  • Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 and
  • Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.

Institutions involved:

• Integrated Rehabilitation Center For Addicts (IRCAs): are de-addiction centres with inpatient facilities of counselling and treatment for drug dependent persons
• Community Peer Led Intervention (CPLI): work with the community supported by youth volunteers for early preventive education, especially for vulnerable adolescents and youth in the community
• Outreach And Drop In Centres (ODIC): provide facilities of screening, assessment and counselling along with providing referral & linkage to treatment and rehabilitation services for drug dependents
• GEO Location: Ministry supported institutions providing Drug addiction counseling, treatment and rehabilitation and other facilities have been Geo-tagged to make their services accessible and easier to locate

Meri Mati Mera Desh campaign:

• Ahead of this Independence Day, the government was launching the “Meri Mati Mera Desh” campaign to honor the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the country.
• Under this, 7,500 urns carrying soil from different parts of India, besides saplings, would be brought to Delhi and used for developing “Amrit Vatika” near the National War Memorial.
• During the last independence day (2022), “Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan” was launched.

Over 60,000 “Amrit Sarovars” had already been built under the “Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” programm