Shillong, May 28 (IANS). Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, while addressing the ‘Drug Free Youth for Developed India – North-East’ program organized by ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ under the Department of Youth Affairs at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong on Thursday, called for adopting a collective and mission-mode approach to tackle the challenge of increasing drug addiction among the youth.
The program brought together representatives of 24 spiritual and social organizations, youth officers, civil society stakeholders and institutional leaders to deliberate on strategies to strengthen anti-drug awareness and youth engagement initiatives in the North-Eastern region.
In this program, Secretary of Youth Affairs Department Pallavi Jain Govil, CEO of ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ Dr. Priyanka Shukla, and Director of IIM Shillong Prof. Nalini Prabha Tripathi and many other dignitaries participated.
Addressing the gathering, Raksha Khadse said that India’s youth population is the country’s biggest strength. It is extremely important to show the youth the right direction to achieve the goal of ‘Developed India’ by 2047.
He said, “We should collectively take forward the ‘Drug Free Campaign’ in mission-mode. Our youth are the biggest strength of the nation. It is our common responsibility to show them the right direction. If we provide them positive guidance and opportunities, we will definitely achieve the goal of ‘Developed India 2047’.”
Underscoring the seriousness of drug addiction and its abuse, the Minister said that the issue should not be seen only as an individual challenge, but as a broader societal concern, the solution of which requires coordinated community efforts and sustained institutional intervention.
Referring to the role of ‘My Youth India’, he said that this platform was envisioned with the objective of connecting youth with nation-building initiatives and encouraging their active participation in addressing social challenges at the grassroots level. He urged the youth officers and partner organizations to ensure that the initiatives of ‘My Young India’ reach every district and every section of the society in the country.
Raksha Khadse underlined the importance of sports and described it as a transformative social force. He talked about freeing the youth from problems like drug addiction, stress and social isolation through sports.
The Union Minister said, “Sports can become one of the most effective mediums to channelize the energy of the youth in a constructive direction. The North-Eastern states as well as Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Goa already have a strong sports culture. We should engage more and more youth with sports, local cultural activities and positive community engagement.”
He further said that the increasing participation of youth in cultural and spiritual programs provides an opportunity to direct them towards constructive social engagement and collective responsibility.
On this occasion, Director of IIM Shillong, Prof. Nalini Prabha Tripathi said that sports and management education together play an important role in molding responsible citizens and future leaders. Sports help reduce stress and anxiety, as well as promote a sense of discipline, teamwork and cooperation among youth.
He said that IIM Shillong continuously encourages student participation in sports, yoga, meditation, cultural activities and co-curricular activities to ensure positive social and emotional development among the youth.
Calling upon the participants to emerge as ambassadors against drug abuse, Prof. Tripathi expressed confidence that the discussions and dialogues held during the program will make a meaningful contribution towards strengthening the national anti-drug movement.
During the programme, presentations were also made on ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ portal, institutional initiatives of ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ and best practices being adopted by organizations working in the field of de-addiction and youth outreach.
The program concluded with a collective pledge to strengthen youth-led efforts towards building a drug-free, healthy and socially empowered India, in line with the vision of ‘Developed India 2047’.
–IANS
PAK