CBSE partners with Narcotics Control Bureau to curb drug menace in schools

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have joined hands to create a drug-free school environment and spread awareness against substance abuse. An agreement signing ceremony was held today at CBSE board headquarters in New Delhi.

The agreement between the two will pave the way for joint initiatives, including quarterly awareness programmes, capacity-building workshops for teachers and counsellors, e-modules on drug prevention, community outreach, and counselling services for students and parents, the CBSE said in an official statement.

Shedding light on the government programmes to combat the menace of drugs in educational institutions, Himanshu Gupta, secretary, CBSE, said: “schools must provide students with a safe and supportive environment, in addition to academics. Timely intervention and government programs like Tele-MANAS, which is expanding access to mental health care across India, can be instrumental in this effort.”

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'Prevention of Substance Abuse' awareness programme

Besides the signing ceremony, an awareness programme on the 'prevention of substance' abuse was also held where more than 500 principals, counsellors, and teachers from CBSE-affiliated institutions across India took part.

Notably, a pilot project of the awareness programme will be initiated in 100 CBSE schools, which will be further extended through a hub-and-spoke model, the board said.

Anurag Garg, director general, NCB, highlighted roles of educational institutions in preventing the menace of drugs. Garg also reaffirmed NCB’s support in conducting awareness campaigns, workshops, and counselling programmes.

Anurag Garg, IPS, director general, NCB, Rahul Singh, IAS, chairperson, CBSE, Himanshu Gupta, IAS, secretary, CBSE, Vishal M Sanap, IRS, deputy director general, NCB, among others also took part in the event.

Further, there was an interactive Question - Answer session. Principals and counsellors from across the country engaged with educational experts, shared concerns, and sought practical strategies for boosting drug-prevention initiatives at the school level, as per the official statement issued by the CBSE.