Odisha Mandates Anti-Drug Pledge for College Admissions in Move to Combat Campus Substance Abuse

Bhubaneswar: In a significant move towards fostering drug-free environments on higher education campuses in Odisha, the State Government has mandated that students must sign anti-drug declaration forms during the admission process for colleges and universities.

Bishnupada Sethi, Principal Secretary to Government, communicated this decision in a letter to the School & Mass Education Department, Higher Education Department, Skill Development & Technical Education Department, and Health Department.

The anti-drug declaration form, formulated by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, aims to align with the Nasha Mukta Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) for Drug Demand Reduction across the country. In a joint meeting on 30.05.2023, chaired by Secretaries of Higher Education and Social Justice and Empowerment Departments, action points for higher educational institutions were established.

The Ministry’s devised declaration form, to be signed at admission, requires students to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, or any psychoactive substances within the institute’s premises or during sponsored activities. This initiative reinforces the commitment to create a drug-free educational environment and follows the nationwide efforts of NMBA, which has engaged over 3.3 crore youth in anti-substance use activities.