Lucknow, 9 October 2026 (Aabkari Times): The Uttar Pradesh Madya Nishedh Vibhag (Prohibition Department) organised a seminar and public awareness programme titled “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat” on Friday at the Visvesvaraya Sabhagar of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), Lucknow. Held under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the programme brought students, faculty and department officials together around a single message: a drug-free youth is the foundation of a developed India.
The programme was attended by Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Excise and Prohibition, Shri Nitin Agarwal, as chief guest. Senior officers of the Prohibition Department, faculty members of the university and a large number of students were present.
Students welcome the Minister with rangolis
The campus wore a festive look for the occasion. Students of AKTU created a series of colourful rangolis carrying anti-addiction messages, which were placed at the university’s main gate to welcome the Hon’ble Minister. The entrance of the Administrative Block was decked with banners and “Suswagatam” panels, while awareness standees from the Prohibition Department lined the hall with slogans such as “Zindagi Chunein, Nasha Nahin” (Choose life, not intoxication) and “Nasha Nahin, Khushi Apnayein” (Embrace happiness, not addiction).
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The seminar was designed to put young people at the centre of the fight against addiction. Its message to students was simple: stay away from every form of intoxication, look out for friends who may be slipping, and carry the campaign back to their hostels, homes and neighbourhoods. With the Minister for Excise and Prohibition present on a technical university campus, the programme also signalled that the state sees awareness and prevention as working hand in hand with enforcement.
“End the stigma” — a message of dignity
A notable feature of the awareness material on display was its focus on ending the stigma around substance use. Standees put up by the department urged visitors not to define a person by their drug use, to treat substance use disorder as a treatable medical condition rather than a choice, to treat people with dependency with dignity and respect, to replace hurtful labels with evidence-based facts, and to speak up when someone is mistreated because of their drug use. The standees also displayed the National Toll-Free De-addiction Helpline: 14446.
Part of a national campaign
The Lucknow seminar is part of the nationwide Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched on 2 August 2026 with more than one crore young people joining virtually from over 28,000 locations. The campaign grew out of a pilot in Kashi under the Kashi Declaration and is planned as a 100-week programme of weekly activities — sports, art, culture, meditation and community service — to promote a drug-free lifestyle. It builds on the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 15 August 2020, which focuses heavily on higher education institutions and campuses.
Aabkari Times perspective: responsibility over excess
As a publication covering India’s excise and alcoholic beverages sector for over 17 years, Aabkari Times does not promote liquor consumption. We stand for a regulated, lawful industry and for responsible drinking — by adults only, within the law, and never at the cost of health, family or safety. Awareness among young people is central to that goal, which is why the Aabkari Times team was present at AKTU to cover the programme. Initiatives like this, which pair firm messaging against drug abuse with compassion for those who need help, deserve wider reach across the state.
Need help? Call the National Toll-Free De-addiction Helpline 14446.
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