New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 2 launched the nationwide ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’, a 100-week campaign aimed at mobilising young Indians against substance abuse and building a sustained public movement for a drug-free India.

Launched under the theme ‘GenZ Against Addiction’, the initiative seeks to take the anti-drug message beyond government programmes and place young people, educational institutions, community organisations and civil society at the heart of the campaign. The launch was conducted through video conferencing, with more than one crore young citizens participating from over 28,000 locations across the country, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The campaign is being organised through MY Bharat, an initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and is designed around sustained public participation rather than a one-day awareness drive. Every Sunday during the 100-week period will feature activities intended to engage young people through sports, culture, art, meditation and community programmes.

PM Modi links drug-free youth with Viksit Bharat

Addressing participants at the launch, PM Modi said a healthy and confident youth population is essential to India's ambition of becoming a developed nation. He stressed that young Indians need to remain physically and mentally fit and avoid destructive habits such as drug abuse.

The Prime Minister presented addiction not merely as an individual or health concern but as an issue that can affect families, communities and the country's broader social and economic strength. He pointed to the achievements of India's young population in areas such as startups, artificial intelligence, sports and space exploration, while warning that substance abuse can undermine the focus, ambition and potential behind those achievements.

The campaign, therefore, is being positioned as part of the larger Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, with young Indians described as a crucial force in shaping the country's future.

“GenZ Against Addiction” is particularly significant because the initiative seeks to communicate with young people through activities and platforms that are closer to their everyday lives rather than relying solely on conventional awareness programmes.

From Kashi pilot to nationwide movement

The nationwide campaign has its roots in a pilot initiative launched in Kashi the previous year. According to PM Modi, the idea developed in Kashi brought together scientific awareness, spiritual organisations, NGOs and social groups under the Kashi Declaration.

More than 125 spiritual organisations and several NGOs have supported the initiative, which has now been expanded into a national campaign. The Prime Minister described the transition from a local pilot to a nationwide programme as an example of a community-driven idea gaining wider momentum.

The government is seeking to use this wider network to make anti-drug awareness a continuing social movement. MY Bharat's campaign platform brings together youth volunteers, educational institutions, youth organisations, NGOs and other participating groups.

According to the campaign information, participation is expected from MY Bharat volunteers, National Service Scheme volunteers, youth clubs, schools, colleges and universities, along with NGOs, industry-linked youth groups and more than 125 partner spiritual organisations.

Speaking at the launch of 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan', a 100-week campaign against substance abuse. I urge every citizen, especially our youth, to join this movement. https://t.co/ucvrcAyK4C— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 2, 2026

What will happen during the 100-week campaign?

Unlike a conventional awareness campaign that ends after a few events, the Nasha Mukt Yuva campaign has been planned around a 100-week roadmap.

Activities will be conducted every Sunday and are expected to cover a broad range of formats. These include sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, awareness drives, street plays or nukkad nataks, discussion forums, art competitions and other community engagement activities.

The campaign also incorporates competitive activities designed to encourage young people to express the anti-addiction message creatively.

District-level competitions are planned across categories such as folk songs, mime, short films and reels, painting, debates and slogan writing. Participants who perform well at the district level can move on to state-level competitions.

This approach gives the campaign a distinctly youth-oriented character. Instead of limiting participation to listening to awareness speeches, young people can communicate the message through art, performance, sport and digital content.

The initiative also includes a Nasha Mukti Pledge, through which young people and other citizens can formally commit themselves to staying away from substance abuse and encouraging others to do the same. An e-Pledge facility is available through the MY Bharat platform.

National Youth Conclave planned as campaign milestone

The campaign is also expected to provide a national platform for participants who contribute significantly to the anti-addiction movement.

According to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports information cited by LiveMint, a National Nasha Mukti Youth Conclave was proposed in New Delhi for August 14, 2026. Outstanding performers from across the country are expected to be recognised for their efforts to spread awareness about substance abuse.

The proposed conclave adds another layer to the campaign by giving young participants an opportunity to move from local activities to a national platform.

PM Modi calls for open conversations within families

One of the notable aspects of the Prime Minister's address was his emphasis on families and the need to remove the stigma surrounding addiction.

PM Modi urged families not to hide substance abuse among their children because of concerns about social reputation. Instead, he called for medical assistance and support when someone falls into addiction.

He also emphasised the importance of creating an environment in which parents and children can communicate openly. Early conversations, he suggested, can help families recognise warning signs before substance use develops into a deeper problem.

The message was also directed at young people who may already be struggling with addiction. PM Modi stressed that falling into addiction should not be viewed as the end of a person's future.

He called for social support, rehabilitation and a second chance for people recovering from substance dependence, arguing that those who overcome addiction should not continue to be defined by their past.

The Prime Minister also highlighted yoga and meditation alongside rehabilitation facilities as avenues that can support individuals in their efforts to overcome addiction.

Colleges and universities urged to join anti-drug movement

Educational institutions are another major focus of the campaign.

PM Modi appealed to professors at colleges and universities to discuss the dangers of drug abuse with students alongside their regular academic curriculum. He also encouraged campuses to create their own anti-addiction movements.

The emphasis on colleges is significant given the campaign's focus on youth participation. Educational institutions can provide a structured environment in which awareness activities, discussions, sports and cultural programmes can be sustained over time.

The broader campaign framework similarly seeks to bring educational institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups, industry bodies and spiritual organisations onto a common platform.

Government crackdown to complement awareness drive

The campaign's prevention and awareness component is being accompanied by a stronger enforcement message.

During his address, PM Modi said the government had intensified action against drug dealers and smugglers, pointing to large-scale seizures of narcotics and increased arrests as part of the wider effort to tackle the supply side of the problem.

The combination of enforcement, awareness, community participation and rehabilitation reflects the government's broader approach to addressing substance abuse.

While law enforcement focuses on disrupting trafficking and supply networks, the Nasha Mukt Yuva campaign places greater emphasis on prevention, awareness and youth-led social participation.

A long-term test for the anti-addiction campaign

The scale of the initiative is substantial, but its success will ultimately depend on what happens after the launch events.

A 100-week campaign provides considerably more time than a conventional short-term awareness programme. The challenge will be to maintain participation, ensure that activities remain meaningful at the local level and turn pledges and public messaging into sustained behavioural change.

The government's decision to involve MY Bharat volunteers, schools, universities, NGOs, youth groups and spiritual organisations gives the campaign a wide network through which it can potentially maintain momentum. The use of sports, art, culture and digital formats could also help make the message more accessible to younger audiences.

For PM Modi, however, the objective extends beyond combating addiction. The campaign has been framed as part of a larger national effort to ensure that India's youth remain healthy, confident and capable of contributing to the country's development goals.

With ‘GenZ Against Addiction’ at its centre, the initiative now faces the task of converting a massive national launch into 100 weeks of sustained grassroots engagement.

The Prime Minister's message was clear: India's ambition of becoming a developed nation cannot be separated from the health and potential of its young population. The success of the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan will therefore depend not only on government action, but also on whether young Indians themselves turn the campaign into a lasting social movement.

With input from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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