CBSE, narcotics bureau join hands against drug abuse

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation in creating drug-free school environments and raising awareness against substance abuse.

The MoU provides a comprehensive framework for joint initiatives, including quarterly awareness programmes, capacity-building workshops for teachers and counsellors, e-modules on drug prevention, community outreach and counseling services for students and parents.

A pilot programme will be launched in 100 CBSE schools, which will further extend outreach through a hub-and-spoke model.

The MoU was signed by Anurag Garg, Director General, NCB, and Rahul Singh, Chairperson, CBSE.

Board secretary Himanshu Gupta said schools must provide students with a safe and supportive environment, in addition to academics. He added that timely intervention and government programmes like Tele-MANAS, which is expanding access to mental healthcare across India could be instrumental in this effort.