PIB TrackerNasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan reaches 35.88 crore people
The Social Justice Ministry says its anti-drug awareness campaign has reached over 35.88 crore people, while people seeking treatment and counselling rose from 2.08 lakh to over 9.11 lakh a year and District De-Addiction Centres now number 198.
What happened
- The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported that the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan had reached over 35.88 crore people as on 12 November 2026, including 14.35 crore youth and 11.33 crore women.
- A senior official traced its growth from 272 districts (15 August 2020) to 372 (August 2022) and all districts (15 August 2023); more than 2 lakh citizens are enrolled as Nasha Mukti Mitr.
- More than 34.07 lakh awareness activities have been held in educational institutions, against reach of about 1.4 crore people in 2021.
- Under NAPDDR, people seeking treatment and counselling rose from 2.08 lakh in 2020-21 to over 9.11 lakh in 2025-26; the country has 198 District De-Addiction Centres.
- The Ministry cited the 2018 national survey: more than 7 crore people affected by substance use disorders, including nearly 1.2 crore children and 58 lakh women.
For Prelims
- NMBA: launched on 15 August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 272 districts; extended to 372 districts in August 2022 and to all districts from 15 August 2023.
- NAPDDR: the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, a centrally sponsored scheme for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation; NMBA is its flagship awareness initiative.
- Nasha Mukti Mitr: citizen volunteers who support awareness and encourage people to seek help; more than 2 lakh enrolled as on 12 November 2026.
- Article 47: the Directive Principle that asks the State to endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drinks and of drugs injurious to health.
- District De-Addiction Centres: 198 are counted now; PIB replies of March and July 2026 gave 145, and the 11 November backgrounder (PRID 2334910) already carried 198.
- Narcotics Control Bureau: the national nodal agency created under the NDPS Act, 1985 to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking, according to MHA annual reports; NMBA works on the demand side.
- 2018 survey: the first national survey on the extent and pattern of substance use found more than 7 crore people with substance use disorders, including nearly 1.2 crore children and 58 lakh women.
- Reach series: 23.74 crore at the five-year mark in November 2025 and 35.70 crore on 5 November 2026 in earlier PIB releases (PRIDs 2334910, 2333283); 35.88 crore now.
For UPSC: NMBA (MoSJE, 15 Aug 2020): 272 districts, 372 in Aug 2022, all districts from 15 Aug 2023; 35.88 crore reached; treatment seekers 2.08 lakh to 9.11 lakh; 198 DDACs.
What it is NOT: The release does not say how 'reached' is counted, whether a person met at several events is counted once, or how much of the 35.88 crore comes from compulsory school and college events. It gives no measure of reduced drug use, relapse or recovery, no spending figure for NMBA or NAPDDR and no State-wise breakdown. It does not explain why District De-Addiction Centres stand at 198 when PIB replies of March and July 2026 gave 145, or how many of the 9.11 lakh people seeking treatment completed it.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS2.13 · GS2.12 · Linkage L1
Anchor
Substance use is treated as a social, psychological and medical problem, not only a law-and-order one. Article 47 gives the constitutional base, and the 2018 survey put people with substance use disorders at more than 7 crore.
Substantiation (data)
Reach rose from about 1.4 crore in 2021 to over 35.88 crore, with every district covered since August 2023. People seeking treatment rose from 2.08 lakh to over 9.11 lakh a year, and 198 District De-Addiction Centres now operate.
Position
Awareness, treatment and volunteers form one demand-reduction system. Volunteers such as Nasha Mukti Mitr widen reach cheaply, and rising treatment numbers can be read as falling stigma, as the Ministry argues.
Counterpoint
Reach counts people informed, not people who quit, so 35.88 crore says little about use. Treatment of 9.11 lakh sits against more than 7 crore affected in 2018, and the centre count (145 in July, 198 now) is unexplained.
Way forward
Report outcome measures such as relapse and recovery, publish district-wise centre capacity, repeat the national prevalence survey for a fresh baseline, fund aftercare and tie NMBA to State and district monitoring.
Conclusion
NMBA has the scale; the next test is evidence of results. A new survey and published recovery data would show whether reach is turning into fewer users.
Deploys into: Social-sector campaigns and the Jan Andolan model · Directive Principles (Article 47) in practice · Health and rehabilitation services for substance use · Centre-State coordination in demand reduction
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment · 2026-11-12 · PRID 2335430 · PIB source ↗