Now Reading: UP colleges get daily anti-drug pledge, zone monitoring
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UP colleges get daily anti-drug pledge, zone monitoring
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a statewide anti-drug campaign for all higher education institutions, mandating a daily two-minute anti-drug pledge and weekly 10-minute teacher-led discussions on substance abuse. The campaign was…
The Story in Brief
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a statewide anti-drug campaign for all higher education institutions, mandating a daily two-minute anti-drug pledge and weekly 10-minute teacher-led discussions on substance abuse. The campaign was announced after Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay chaired a meeting with university registrars. Governor Anandiben Patel had earlier claimed that narcotics were prevalent on almost every university campus she visited. The state has been divided into five zones, each with a senior nodal officer overseeing implementation. Meanwhile, the Union government has begun a voluntary urine testing programme at IITs and IIMs as part of a three-year plan to screen 10 lakh students across 130 centrally-funded institutions.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that narcotics are 'thrown outside hostels' in 'almost every university' in Uttar Pradesh sounds exaggerated without supporting data. A two-minute pledge or a weekly 10-minute talk will not deter addiction unless backed by credible counselling and enforcement. The practical test will be the quality of rehabilitation services and whether the five-zone monitoring system genuinely identifies hotspots or just adds paperwork, as many government campaigns do.
Sources (3): hindustantimes.com, thehindu.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
