Standard Operating Procedures launched by Chief Secretary UT Chandigarh for Monitoring of Drug Free Campuses
Chandigarh, 09th January 2025: Sh. Rajeev Verma, Chief Secretary, UT Chandigarh today launched the standard operating procedures (SOPs) along with the checklist for declaring Higher education institutions drug free campuses. The launch ceremony was held at the New UT Secretariat Sector 9, Chandigarh.
The event was attended by Smt. Prerna Puri, Secretary Education, Smt. Anuradha S. Chagti, Secretary Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, Sh. Rubinderjit Singh Brar, Director Higher education and Smt. Pallika Arora, Director department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development along with other officials from Chandigarh Administration.
Smt Prerna Puri apprised that 17 VADA clubs have been established in higher education institutions across all the colleges in Chandigarh by the Department of Higher Education in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development. These clubs align with the “Nasha mukt Bharart Abhiyaan” launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2020. These VADA clubs are actively engaged in various activities with a view to create awareness among the students about the dangers of substance use and promote zero tolerance policy with regard to drug Abuse. She further said that the check list prepared by the committee will be submitted to the Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development biannually to monitor the usage of drug abuse.
Speaking on the occasion, Sh Rajeev Verma said that similar SOPs may be developed for schools in Chandigarh and there should be greater synergy between school and colleges so that the evil should be nipped at the earliest. He further urged that let us all unify in our efforts to build India a drug free country. He said that the frequency of surprise visits in the college hostels should be fixed to ensure uniformity in the application of SOPs.
