{"id":123264,"date":"2026-09-07T13:27:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T07:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=123264"},"modified":"2026-09-07T13:28:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T07:58:23","slug":"drug-free-india-by-2029","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/drug-free-india-by-2029\/","title":{"rendered":"Drug-Free India by 2029, Centre Launches 3-Year Anti-Drug Roadmap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Centre has prepared a <\/span><b>three-year roadmap to achieve a Drug-Free India by 2029<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, treating the fight against narcotics as a national security priority. The roadmap, covering <strong>J<\/strong><\/span><b>uly 2026 to July 2029<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, focuses on dismantling drug networks, controlling synthetic and precursor drugs, reducing drug demand and strengthening coordination among enforcement and welfare agencies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Drug-Free India by 2029 Four-Pillar Strategy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Drug-Free India by 2029<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> roadmap rests on<\/span><b> four pillars <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">covering <\/span><b>drug trafficking, illegal drug production, drug dependence and inter-agency coordination<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and follows a <\/span><b>whole-of-government <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>whole-of-society approa<\/b><strong>c<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>h<\/strong> to tackle the problem comprehensively.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Intelligence-Led Enforcement and Operations<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to dismantle entire drug-trafficking networks rather than focusing only on individual offenders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the <\/span><b>bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom investigation model<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, agencies will trace small seizures to their source and large consignments to their intended destination to uncover the wider network.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to <\/span><b>dismantle 100 national and international drug networks by March 2029.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Control of Precursors and Synthetic Drugs<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to strengthen control over precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs and take action against clandestine laboratories involved in illegal drug production.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b><i>government aims to destroy at least 75 clandestine drug laboratories in 2026 and end-to-end visibility of the narcotics supply chain by March 2027.<\/i><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Demand Reduction and Harm Reduction<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to reduce drug use and help people overcome addiction through awareness, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b><i>government aims to increase the number of de-addiction centres to 1,751 to expand access to treatment and rehabilitation services.\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to <\/span><b>strengthen community participation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by preparing <\/span><b>10,000 volunteers and 1 lakh Nasha Mukt Bharat Mitras<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to spread awareness about drug abuse and support the campaign at the grassroots level.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to <\/span><b>make educational institutions drug-free<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by involving schools, colleges and educational institutions in awareness, prevention and early intervention against substance abuse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Capacity Building and Coordination<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government aims to strengthen coordination among Central and State agencies through better intelligence sharing, joint action and improved monitoring at borders, ports, airports and cargo points. The government aims to implement the roadmap in <\/span><b><i>mission mode from 2026 to 2029<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with defined timelines, measurable outcomes, quarterly reviews and outcome-based accountability.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Drug-Free India by 2029: Institutional and International Measures<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India already has several institutional and international mechanisms that support the implementation of the Drug-Free India by 2029 roadmap.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">brings together Central and State agencies to improve coordination in tackling drug trafficking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government is strengthening <\/span><b>inter-agency coordination<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> among the Narcotics Control Bureau, State Police, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/border-security-force-bsf\/\" target=\"_blank\">Border Security Force<\/a><\/strong>, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate and Financial Intelligence Unit to improve intelligence sharing, border surveillance and financial investigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Anti-Narcotics Task Forces<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the State level strengthen enforcement and coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau and other agencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/manas-helpline\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>MANAS helpline<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides a mechanism for citizens to report information related to narcotics and supports public participation in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/nidaan-portal\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>NIDAAN database<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> helps create a data-based mechanism for tracking narcotics offenders and supporting investigations against drug networks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has developed a <\/span><b>nationwide data-driven map of drug hotspots and trafficking patterns<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, helping agencies identify emerging routes and focus enforcement resources more effectively.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has <\/span><b>international cooperation agreements with 46 countries <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to tackle narcotics-related crimes and strengthen cross-border investigations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 1,400 Central and State agencies are connected through Interpol, enabling better <\/span><b>intelligence sharing and cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in transnational criminal cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is also pursuing a <\/span><b>coordinated approach against drug trafficking through the Death Triangle and Death Crescent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, focusing on major source and trafficking routes that pose a threat to the country.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Central Bureau of Investigation, Ministry of External Affairs and Interpol are being used to pursue fugitives, while financial agencies and the banking system help trace illicit money trails.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These measures have also produced significant results. <\/span><b>Between July 2019 and July 2026, India brought back 274 wanted or absconding criminals from 36 countries.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> During 2019-2026, <\/span><b>assets worth \u20b917,874 crore were attached and \u20b918,762 crore were recovered or restored<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in cases involving fugitives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Significance of Drug-Free India by 2029<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Drug-Free India by 2029 initiative is important because narcotics are not only a public health concern but also a challenge to internal security and organised crime.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>strengthens internal security by targeting organised drug networks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that can contribute to serious crime and narco-terrorism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>protects public health<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by combining action against drug supply with prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>disrupts illicit financial networks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by targeting the money generated through drug trafficking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It s<\/span><b>trengthens border security<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through better intelligence, surveillance and coordination among agencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It<\/span><b> supports the broader goal of <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/viksit-bharat-2047\/\" target=\"_blank\">Viksit Bharat @2047<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by seeking to build a drug-free youth population and protect India&#8217;s human capital from the social and economic consequences of substance abuse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>improves India&#8217;s response to transnational crime<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through stronger international cooperation and mechanisms to track fugitives.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Challenges to Drug-Free India by 2029<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The success of the roadmap will depend on India&#8217;s ability to respond to changing trafficking methods while also addressing the demand for drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Synthetic drugs are increasingly difficult to detect<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because they can be produced in small clandestine laboratories and may not depend on traditional trafficking routes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Darknet and cryptocurrency-based trafficking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can make drug transactions more anonymous and difficult to track.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Transnational drug networks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> operate across multiple jurisdictions, making investigation and prosecution dependent on international cooperation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gaps in coordination and intelligence sharing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can weaken action when enforcement, financial investigation and rehabilitation efforts do not work together.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drug dependence remains a demand-side challenge, as<\/span><b> arrests and seizures alone cannot address addiction without effective treatment and rehabilitation.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drug-Free India by 2029, Centre unveils a three-year roadmap to tackle narcotics, dismantle drug networks, curb synthetic drugs, expand rehabilitation and strengthen enforcement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":123282,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[10080,10079],"class_list":["post-123264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-drug-free-india","tag-drug-free-india-by-2029","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123264"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123288,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123264\/revisions\/123288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}