Haryana education institutions hold drives to spread awareness against drug abuse, depression among youth
The state Education Department has mandated the colleges and universities to launch an awareness drives on these issues
With the growing menace of drug addiction and affliction of mental issues such as depression among youths, campuses of educational institutions have come under the observation of the authorities, including the civil and police administration. The Haryana Education Department has mandated the colleges and universities to launch an awareness drives on these issues.
In this context, the Chaudhary Bansi Lal University (CBLU), Bhiwani, organised an awareness programme to sensitise the youth against drug abuse. The event was organised as per the directions of the Indian Red Cross Society, Haryana State Branch, and Chandigarh and held under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner and Red Cross Chairman Sahil Gupta.
The awareness seminar was held at Shri Ramanujan Auditorium of Chaudhary Bansi Lal University with the support of the Youth Red Cross, where more than 200 rural and urban young men and women participated in the event.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Deepti Dharmani, who inaugurated the event, said parents should also make children aware of the dangers of addiction so that the coming generation remained conscious of its harmful effects and focused on education. She said addiction pushed the young backward, and to move ahead they must give up intoxicants and turn towards learning so that the younger generation could become educated and responsible.
She said it was the responsibility of the intitutions to take measures to engage them in activities which not only made them aware about the ill-effects of the drug abuse but also inculcate a sense of responsibility in them so that they could become part of a chain against the menace. Red Cross secretary Pradeep Kumar said awareness at the school level could significantly reduce the damage caused by substance abuse in the years to come.
During the session, Bhiwani Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Anup Kumar said drug abuse not only ruined the life of the one person or his/her family but such persons also became a danger to society. “It came to light that under the influence of drugs, such persons indulge in road rage and also become a threat to others on the road,” he said.
He stressed that rules were not only meant to avoid penalties but to protect precious lives, and urged young people not to drive after consuming alcohol. The event concluded with a pledge where the participants were administered an oath to spread awareness against drug abuse. The team of students organised a street play highlighting the ill-effects of addiction and the importance of following road safety rules.
A similar awareness programme on de-addiction was organised at Government Senior Secondary School, Prem Nagar, through a joint initiative of the department of sociology and social work of the Chaudhary Bansi Lal University (CBL) and an organisation — ‘Stand with nature’. The school students participated in the event via poster-making competition, awareness rally and educational talks. Village Sarpanch Rajesh Boora said there was a need to spread awareness at the grassroots level in the schools in rural areas so that the students could know about the dangers of addiction.
The chief guest, Bijender Singh, president of the All-India Youth Welfare Organisation, while addressing the students said addiction led life into darkness and harmed not only the individual’s body but also their family and society.
At an another programme on the topic “Suicide, a deep wound on the soul of society – who is responsible” at Vaish College in Bhiwani, the Director-General of Higher Education, Haryana, S Narayanan, said increasing mental stress among the youth, intense competition, social pressure and lack of communication were major contributing factors for depression among the youth. He said families, educational institutions and the government shared a collective responsibility in addressing these issues. He said the programme was organised in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court, as the Higher Education Department, Haryana, was running an awareness campaign across the state by appointing nodal officers in colleges to provide counselling to the students.
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