Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has proposed making an anti-drug pledge mandatory for students entering schools and colleges, while setting a 2029 target for the state to become drug-free. The proposal was made at an awareness programme in Hyderabad, where he also announced a 60-day campaign across educational institutions and Telangana’s 33 districts.
Shukla spoke at a Nasha Mukt Bharat and “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat-2047” programme at Tagore Auditorium on the Osmania University campus. The event was organised jointly by the Telangana State Branch of the Indian Red Cross Society and Osmania University’s National Service Scheme Cell.
The Governor linked the proposed pledge to the Union government’s vision of a drug-free India and its Vision Document on Drug Control 2026-2029. He said the responsibility for tackling drug abuse rested with society as a whole and warned that addiction could undermine the goals of Viksit Bharat and Viksit Telangana.
The proposed admission pledge would place educational institutions at the centre of the campaign. Shukla asked schools and colleges to conduct seminars, exhibitions, counselling sessions and rallies, and said institutions making significant contributions would be recognised. Students, he added, should serve as ambassadors of the campaign by spreading the message to reject drugs and support a healthy life.
The campaign will run from Children’s Day on November 14 to National Youth Day on January 12. The Governor administered an anti-drug pledge at the programme, unveiled awareness posters and stickers, inaugurated a blood donation camp and flagged off a rally from Tagore Auditorium to the Arts College. Similar programmes were held across all 33 districts.
Shukla also stressed that the campaign should not turn people battling addiction into targets of stigma. He said those affected should receive medical treatment, counselling and family support, summarising his approach with the message: “Fight drugs, not the individuals affected by addiction.” The statement places rehabilitation alongside prevention and awareness in the proposed institutional response.
The programme also highlighted the scale of the volunteer networks being used for public campaigns. The Governor said Telangana’s Indian Red Cross Society membership had crossed 1.28 lakh, while Junior Red Cross and Youth Red Cross registrations had exceeded 16 lakh. A further 6,000 volunteers had registered under Aapda Mitra, and more than 5.20 lakh young people had joined the MY Bharat portal.
The event was attended by Indian Red Cross Society Telangana chairman M. Dana Kishore, Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram, officials, faculty members and NSS volunteers. The 60-day awareness drive and the proposed admission pledge now place educational institutions in the next phase of the state’s anti-drug mobilisation, although the announcement did not specify how the pledge would be incorporated into admission procedures.
