Staff Reporter
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed confidence that National Cadet Corps, NCC, can contribute exponentially in eradicating the menace of drug abuse by creating awareness about dangerous implications of drugs among the youth.
Addressing an ‘Interaction with NCC Cadets’ event under the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ here today, he said, NCC has been contributing immensely in India’s journey of development for many years and their selfless efforts in the fight against Covid- 19 pandemic, have earned them high respect.
Terming drug abuse as the main obstacle in the path of development, Mr. Singh said, India, on one hand, is moving fast towards becoming self-reliant in all important sectors including defence, but on other hand, menace of drug abuse is posing a serious challenge to the society. He said, it is high time that all stakeholders through public participation should combat drug abuse to ensure progress of the nation.
Department of social justice and empowerment launched the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan in August 2020 to create awareness about the ill-effects of drug abuse in youth, children and community. Under the campaign, 272 sensitive districts were identified where menace of drug abuse was very high. So far, more than eight crore people and over 1.5 lakh educational institutions have been part of this nationwide campaign. It is expected that with the active participation of NCC cadets, this campaign will touch new heights and achieve goal of Drug-free India.
On this occasion, the Minister administered the oath against drug abuse to the cadets of NCC. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. Virendra Singh was also present at the event.