Puducherry Lt Governor urges youth to lead anti-drug drive on campuses

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Sunday (August 2, 2026) called upon students and youth volunteers to act as “watchdogs and moral guardians” of their campuses in the fight against drug abuse. Speaking at the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan programme held at Pondicherry University, he described drug abuse as a threat to India's national security and its ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Mr. Kailashnathan said the campaign, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was not a routine government scheme but a “solemn national pledge” and a mass people's movement that required participation from every citizen. He emphasised that a developed nation cannot be built on infrastructure and economic growth alone.

Noting that roughly 40% of India's population is aged between 15 and 35, he called this demographic the “engine” that will drive the country's development. “A Viksit Bharat is absolutely impossible without a Nasha Mukt Bharat,” he said, adding that youth can contribute to nation-building only if they remain physically strong, mentally sound and emotionally resilient.

The Lieutenant Governor cautioned that drug abuse is not merely a personal or family tragedy but a broader threat to India's economic and security interests. He said resources meant for education, healthcare and infrastructure were increasingly being diverted to manage addiction-related crises, undermining the country's goal of becoming the world's third-largest economy by 2030.

He further warned that illicit proceeds from narcotics trafficking are being used to fund organised crime, anti-national activities and narco-terrorism, calling the issue a “direct and critical threat to national security.”

Mr. Kailashnathan described how drug abuse often begins with a seemingly harmless experiment – giving in to peer pressure or seeking a temporary escape from academic or personal stress – but transforms into a habit and then into severe addiction. He also spoke of the toll on families, citing parents who sacrifice their comforts to educate their children, only to see those dreams destroyed by addiction.

He appealed to students to pledge to stay away from drugs and to intervene when they notice friends or roommates withdrawing or falling into bad company. He urged them to use social media, debates and youth festivals to spread the anti-drug message. “Let Puducherry emerge as a shining beacon in this national campaign,” he said.

Mr. Kailashnathan also administered the Nasha Mukt Yuva Pledge to the students. The event was attended by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Pondicherry University Vice-Chancellor Prof. P. Prakash Babu, Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan and other officials.