Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at 11 am through video conferencing, kicking off a nationwide campaign against substance abuse among young people.
The launch saw participation from nearly 10,000 locations across the country, with more than 1 crore youth joining a national pledge to stay away from substance abuse and become ambassadors of positive social change in their communities.
The campaign drew active participation from MY Bharat Volunteers, the National Service Scheme, youth clubs, schools, colleges, universities, NGOs, industrial associations and more than 125 spiritual organisations.
The launch marks the start of a 100-week nationwide Jan Bhagidari campaign against substance abuse, with weekly activities organised every Sunday across the country to sustain public engagement.
Planned weekly activities include sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, awareness drives, nukkad nataks, discussion forums, art competitions and other community engagement programmes.
The initiative builds on the government’s existing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, extending its reach through a structured, multi-year calendar of youth-focused activities rather than a single awareness event.
The campaign builds on the government’s broader Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, which has run de-addiction and awareness drives across India’s states and union territories in recent years.
Officials said the choice of Sunday for weekly activities is intended to maximise participation from students and working professionals who have more free time to join community events on the day.
The 100-week timeline gives the campaign a multi-year runway, allowing organisers to track engagement and adjust programming based on which activity formats draw the strongest youth participation in different regions.
Government officials have described substance abuse among youth as a public health and social challenge that requires sustained, community-led engagement rather than a single awareness event.
The ‘Viksit Bharat’ framing links the anti-drug campaign to the government’s broader goal of a developed India by 2047, positioning youth wellbeing as a foundation for the country’s long-term development agenda.
Photo: Prime Minister’s Office, Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
