Choose character over addiction: Vice President to students

New Delhi, Jan 13: The Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, Tuesday inaugurated the Drug Free Campus Campaign at the University of Delhi, underscoring the need for sustained and collective efforts to protect the youth from substance abuse and to realise the vision of a Viksit and Aatma-nirbhar Bharat.
Emphasising that strong nations require strong leadership, the Vice President said universities are not merely centres of academic learning but institutions where values are shaped, leadership is nurtured and the future of the nation is forged. He observed that when a premier institution like the University of Delhi takes a firm stand against substance abuse, it sends a powerful message to society at large.
The Vice President also launched a dedicated e-pledge platform (https://pledge.du.ac.in/home) and mobile application under the Nasha Mukt Parisar Abhiyaan, and urged students from universities across the country to actively participate and take the pledge for a drug-free campus. He called upon the Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan to ensure that the Drug Free Campus Campaign becomes an integral part of all Central Higher Educational Institutions.
Highlighting that India is a youthful nation, the Vice President described substance abuse as not merely a personal problem but a serious social challenge, public health concern and a threat to the country’s demographic dividend. He noted that drug abuse adversely affects physical and mental health, academic performance, family harmony, productivity and national security, including its links with narco-terrorism.
The Vice President said the vision of a developed and self-reliant India can be realised only when the youth remain healthy, drug-free and purpose-driven. A drug-free youth, he added, is better equipped to acquire skills, promote entrepreneurship and contribute meaningfully to economic growth and national development.
Emphasising the role of education and culture, the Vice President said that India’s ancient traditions place great importance on self-discipline, mental balance and purity of mind and body. He noted that this ethos is reflected in the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote meditation and yoga. The Vice President also highlighted initiatives such as the MY Bharat Portal and the PM Anusandhan Yojana for channelising the energy of youth towards research, innovation, volunteering and nation-building.
The Vice President observed that the National Education Policy 2020 reflects this holistic vision by emphasising mental health, life skills and student well-being. He said initiatives such as the Drug Free Campus Campaign resonate with the spirit of the Policy by creating safe, inclusive and nurturing learning environments.
Commending the University of Delhi for integrating awareness programmes, counselling mechanisms, student-led initiatives and stakeholder collaboration, the Vice-President said that when students become ambassadors of change, the impact extends beyond campuses to families and communities. He urged students to remain vigilant, support peers in distress, speak up against substance abuse and lead by example.
Expressing confidence that the University of Delhi would emerge as a model drug-free campus, the Vice President said a Nasha Mukt Bharat is essential to achieve the goal of a healthy, strong and developed nation.
The event was attended by Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan, Education Minister of Delhi Ashish Sood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi Prof. Yogesh Singh, senior officials, faculty members and students. (PIB)