**Executive Summary**
On May 29, 2026, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) hosted a National Meet to felicitate the winners of the "Towards a Tobacco-Free Generation: School Challenge 2025." The event marked the launch of the Three-Year Action Plan (2026–2029) and the Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya (NMV) Portal to institutionalize tobacco control in schools. Key objectives include enforcing drug-free zones and integrating substance abuse prevention into national and state curricula.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Awards and Recognition**
* A total of 12 schools were felicitated across four categories: Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary.
* Winning schools received trophies and cash prizes: ₹50,000 for first place, ₹25,000 for second, and ₹15,000 for third.
* 41 additional schools received appreciation prizes for their proactive efforts in cultivating substance-free environments.
* Over 17,000 schools from across India participated in the challenge.
**Three-Year Action Plan (2026–2029) Interventions**
* **Digital Monitoring:** Launch of the Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya (NMV) Portal for school self-declaration, monitoring, and compliance tracking through UDISE+.
* **Zoning Laws:** Strict enforcement of a 500-metre drug-free zone around all educational institutions.
* **Curriculum Integration:** Inclusion of age-appropriate health education and substance abuse prevention into NCERT, CBSE, and State Board curricula.
* **Resource Development:** Creation of standardized multilingual Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials for students, teachers, and parents.
**Support and Intervention Framework**
* **Teacher Training:** Focus on capacity building through pre-service and in-service training to help educators identify early behavioral changes.
* **Mental Health:** Utilization of the "Manodarpan" national helpline (844 844 0632) to support the emotional well-being of students.
* **Early Intervention:** Implementation of a robust framework from the school to the national level for the identification and referral of at-risk students.
**Regulatory Context**
* Reference to the Manual for Implementation of TOFEI (Tobacco Free Educational Institutions) Guidelines developed in 2024.
* Continued alignment with the COTPA Act (2003) and the 2019 prohibition of electronic cigarettes.
**Impact Analysis**
**Schools and Educational Institutions**
**Impact**
Schools are positioned as the primary hubs for a nationwide social campaign, potentially influencing 24.69 crore children and up to 20 crore households.
**Action Required**
Must implement TOFEI guidelines, ensure the 500-metre drug-free perimeter is maintained, and use the NMV portal for progress documentation and compliance.
**Teachers**
**Impact**
Teachers are designated as pivotal figures in safeguarding students' mental health and identifying early signs of substance use.
**Action Required**
Undergo mandatory capacity-building training and actively participate in the early identification and referral of at-risk students.
**Students and Families**
**Impact**
Benefit from safer, tobacco-free learning environments and increased access to mental health resources and awareness materials.
**Action Required**
Families are encouraged to actively support the campaign’s long-term action plan and engage with the school's awareness and sensitization initiatives.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL): The primary department under the Ministry of Education responsible for implementing tobacco control and substance abuse prevention programs in schools.
Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya (NMV) Portal: A digital platform launched to monitor, document, and track the compliance of educational institutions in becoming tobacco and drug-free.
Three-Year Action Plan (2026–2029): A strategic roadmap launched by DoSEL under the Nasha Mukt Bharat initiative to strengthen tobacco-free environments around educational institutions.
COTPA Act, 2003: The primary legislative framework (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act) used to regulate tobacco consumption and enforce tobacco-free zones.
TOFEI (Tobacco Free Educational Institutions) Guidelines: The specific set of implementation rules and manuals designed to help schools and states strengthen tobacco control awareness and enforcement.
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education observes World No
Tobacco Day, felicitates winners of "Towards a
Tobacco Free Generation: School Challenge
2025"
Posted On: 01 JUN 2026 2:32PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, organized a National
Meet of officials, School Heads, teacher representatives from States/UTs, and officials from NCERT, NVS
and KVS on 29 May 2026 in New Delhi on the eve of World No Tobacco Day. The event was held to
commemorate the winning schools of the MyGov Innovate Campaign, “Towards a Tobacco-Free
Generation: School Challenge 2025”.
Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), graced the
occasion and presented awards to the winning schools, lauding their proactive efforts in cultivating
healthy, substance-free educational environments.
The event was attended by Ms. A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSE&L; Shri Ram Singh, Joint Director,
DoSE&L; Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director, NCERT; and senior officials from the Ministry of
Education.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sanjay Kumar congratulated the award-winning schools and appreciated
the participation of over 17,000 schools from across the country. He urged all educational institutions to
strive towards becoming tobacco-free. Highlighting the importance of sustained tobacco control efforts, he
emphasised the need to strengthen demand reduction through continued awareness, sensitisation, and
behavioural change initiatives, particularly among children and adolescents.
Shri Kumar further underscored the pivotal role of teachers in identifying early behavioural changes
among students and safeguarding their mental and emotional well-being. He highlighted the important
role of schools in promoting healthy behaviours, fostering well-being, and supporting early preventive
interventions.
Emphasising the transformative reach of the school education system, he highlighted that schools connect
with nearly 24.69 crore children and can influence 15–20 crore households, enabling the tobacco-free
movement to evolve into a nationwide social campaign. He also called for strengthening tobacco-free
environments around educational institutions and encouraged schools and families to actively support the
campaign's long-term action plan, which aligns with the vision of building a healthier and more developed
India.
The event also witnessed the launch of DoSEL's Three-Year Action Plan (2026–2029) under the Nasha
Mukt Bharat initiative, as well as the Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya (NMV) Portal (https://tofei.education.gov.i
n/). The portal will serve as a key platform for monitoring and documenting the progress of educational
institutions in implementing the Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya Abhiyan.A total of 12 schools were felicitated across four categories: Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and
Secondary, with three schools selected from each category. The winning schools received trophies along
with cash awards of ₹50,000 for the first position, ₹25,000 for the second position, and ₹15,000 for the
third position. Additionally, 41 schools were presented with appreciation prizes in recognition of their
commendable efforts towards the initiative.
The Three Year Action Plan is built around four key interventions: (i) the Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya Portal for
school self-declaration, monitoring, and compliance tracking through UDISE+; (ii) enforcement of a 500-
metre drug-free zone around educational institutions; (iii) integration of age-appropriate substance abuse
prevention and health education into NCERT, CBSE, and State Board curricula; and (iv) development of
standardised multilingual IEC materials for awareness generation for teacher, students and parents. The
initiative also focuses on teacher capacity building through pre-service and in-service training, early
identification and referral of at-risk students, mental health support through Manodarpan (national helpline
844 844 0632), and a robust monitoring framework from school to national level to ensure effective
implementation and accountability.
Ms. A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSEL, in her welcome address, highlighted the Government's sustained
policy and institutional efforts to control tobacco consumption. She recalled the legislative and fiscal
measures adopted by the Government of India to curb tobacco consumption, including the enactment of
the COTPA Act in 2003, the prohibition of electronic cigarettes in 2019, and the imposition of the highest
GST rates and cesses on tobacco products.
She reiterated the Government's commitment to advancing tobacco control and public awareness efforts.
Referring to the WHO Global Youth Tobacco Survey, she emphasised the need for early awareness and
prevention initiatives among children and adolescents. She stressed the importance of creating awareness
and sensitising students in schools about the harmful effects of tobacco and substance abuse, noting that
early intervention can have a lifelong impact.
Ms. Srija also informed the gathering that DoSEL developed the Manual for Implementation of TOFEI
Guidelines in Schools in 2024 to support schools and States in strengthening awareness, compliance, and
enforcement efforts.
The programme also featured expert panel discussions on tobacco and substance abuse prevention, mental
well-being, behavioural change, and the importance of collaborative action by schools, families,
communities, and government institutions in building a Nasha Mukt Bharat.
*****
AK
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