Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha government has instructed all institutions under the Higher Education Department to launch awareness programs targeted at creating drug-free campuses in an effort to counteract the growing rate of drug misuse among young people. The agency sent out a letter today directing principals of all government and non-government universities in the state to take aggressive measures to educate students and the general public about the risks associated with drug and narcotic substance usage.
Colleges have been requested to promote the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) MANAS webpage as part of the effort. Students and citizens can use the portal to report drug-related events by using the “Umang” mobile app or the 1933 hotline number. Colleges have also been urged to use NSS volunteers to conduct awareness campaigns, encouraging the public and students to sign the MyGov platform’s anti-drug e-pledge. To get students to have meaningful conversations about the subject, the department has also placed a strong emphasis on holding demonstrations, sensitization programs, and creative contests like debates, essay writing, and painting.
Drug and narcotic substance addiction among young people is becoming a major problem that threatens both individual well-being and social harmony. In the letter, the government said, “Educational institutions have a crucial role to play in fostering a healthy, safe, and drug-free environment, as they are the fundamental spaces for shaping the future of our nation.”
