Content
- Government to celebrate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26th June, 2025
- ECINET Operations started in Bye-polls
Government to celebrate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26th June, 2025
Context & Occasion
- Observed on: 26th June annually as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
- Organiser: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE).
Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues ,Governance)
Nodal Ministry & Policy Framework
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) is the nodal ministry for drug demand reduction.
- Key mandate: Prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and public awareness.
- Framework: National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) Highlights
- Launched: As a nationwide awareness movement.
- Scope: Operational in all districts.
- Target groups: Youth, students (HEIs/schools), and communities.
Key Achievements
- People sensitized: 15.78+ crore, including:
- 5.26+ crore youth
- 3.31+ crore women
- Educational institutions involved: 4.31+ lakh.
- Master Volunteers (MVs): 20,000+ trained.
- Pledge Campaign: 1.67+ crore students from 99,595 institutions pledged to stay drug-free.
Digital & Outreach Tools
- NMBA App: Live on Google Play Store; real-time data tracking at district/state/national levels.
- NMBA Website: Offers dashboard, discussion forum, and e-pledge.
- Social Media: Active campaigns via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
Community Engagement
- Events Organized:
- Nashe se Azaadi – Youth Interaction
- Naya Bharat, Nasha Mukt Bharat
- NMBA Interaction with NCC
- Partnerships: MoUs signed with major spiritual/social service orgs (Art of Living, ISKCON, etc.) for awareness drives.
Institutional Support
- All de-addiction facilities geo-tagged for public accessibility.
- NGOs/VOs supported under NAPDDR mobilized for outreach from 1st–26th June 2025.
Public Health Perspective
- Drug dependence seen as psycho-social-medical issue.
- Leads to:
- Neuro-psychiatric disorders
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Social disruptions (accidents, violence, suicides).
Way Forward
- Jan Andolan approach emphasized to involve masses.
- Calls for multi-stakeholder participation to sustain awareness and prevention at grassroots level.
Data and Facts :
National Survey on Extent & Pattern of Substance Use in India (2019)
(MoSJE, released 2019; age group 10-75 yrs unless noted)
- Alcohol
- 16 crore current users ≈ 14.6 % of population surveyed
- 5.2 % of all adults (≈ 5.8 crore) are alcohol-dependent
- Cannabis
- 3.1 crore users ≈ 2.8 % prevalence
- 72 lakh people ( 0.66 %) have cannabis-related disorders
- Opioids
- Overall use 2.06 % (≈ 2.3 crore people)
- 0.55 % (≈ 60 lakh) urgently need treatment/health services
- Sedatives (non-medical use)
- 1.18 crore users ≈ 1.08 %
- Inhalants
- Children & adolescents: 1.7 % users (≈ 22 lakh)
- Adults: 0.58 % users
- 18 lakh minors need intervention for inhalant abuse
- Injecting Drug Users (IDU / PWID)
- ≈ 8.5 lakh people actively inject psychoactive substances
ECINET Operations started in Bye-polls
Context & Background
- Event: Successful implementation of ECINET in bye-elections.
- States involved: Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, and West Bengal.
- Bye-elections held in 5 Assembly Constituencies.
- ECINET was announced earlier on 4th May 2025 as a one-stop digital platform integrating 40+ ECI applications.
Relevance : GS 2(Elections , Reforms)
About ECINET
- Developed by Election Commission of India (ECI).
- Aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and real-time access to election data.
- Designed under the leadership of CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
Key Outcomes in Bye-Elections
- VTR Trends (Voter Turnout Reports):
- Uploaded directly by Presiding Officers (PROs) at polling stations.
- Replaced earlier manual reporting, reducing time lag and enhancing accuracy.
- Enabled real-time public access to approximate voter turnout data.
- Index Card Generation:
- Published within 72 hours of result declaration — a major speed improvement.
- Earlier: Took days to months due to manual data entry and verification.
- Now: Most fields are auto-filled via ECINET inputs.
About Index Cards
- Non-statutory post-election statistical reports, introduced in the late 1980s.
- Purpose: Promote data transparency and accessibility at the constituency level.
- Contents include:
- Candidates and party-wise vote share
- Elector demographics and turnout
- Gender-based voting patterns
- Regional variations and party performance
- Audience: Useful for academics, policymakers, media, researchers, and the public.
- Access via: https://www.eci.gov.in/statistical-reports → Bye-elections tab.
Significance of ECINET
- Enhances digital governance in the electoral process.
- Fosters data-driven election analysis.
- Reduces bureaucratic delay and human error in election reporting.
- Builds greater public trust in the election process through transparency.
