Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Education addresses tobacco use among Indian students aged 13-15, as highlighted by the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS4, 2019). The government has implemented various measures, including updated guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI), awareness campaigns, and enforcement drives. A national call for a month-long enforcement drive was issued by DoSEL on May 19, 2025, directing States/UTs to ensure areas around schools remain free from tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
Key Points / Main Content:
ToFEI Guidelines and Implementation:
* Updated ToFEI guidelines were released in 2019, providing a structured approach for schools and colleges to become tobacco-free.
* An implementation manual for ToFEI was launched on May 31, 2024, to aid schools in adhering to the guidelines.
* A joint letter was issued on September 18, 2024, urging strict implementation of ToFEI guidelines and COTPA 2003 provisions.
Enforcement and Awareness Initiatives:
* The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory in November 2024 to enforce ToFEI and COTPA provisions.
* A national enforcement drive was initiated on May 19, 2025, focusing on tobacco-free zones around schools and COTPA compliance.
* A national workshop was held on May 31, 2025, to raise awareness of tobacco industry tactics and promote ToFEI implementation.
* A World No Tobacco Day Awareness Quiz was launched on MyGov on May 22, 2025.
* The School Challenge: Towards a Tobacco-Free Generation was launched on June 11, 2025, to mobilize communities against tobacco use.
Best Practices and Collaboration:
* States/UTs shared best practices, including translating ToFEI guidelines and creating educational initiatives.
* The government collaborates with NCERT to conduct capacity-building programs for school heads to promote ToFEI.
Impact Analysis:
States/Union Territories:
* Impact: Required to strictly implement ToFEI guidelines and COTPA provisions, particularly Sections 6A and 6B. Responsible for ensuring tobacco, alcohol, and drug-free zones around schools and colleges.
* Action Required: Enforce the 100-yard tobacco-free zones around educational institutions (Activity 8 and 9).
Schools and Colleges:
* Impact: Expected to adhere to ToFEI guidelines to create tobacco-free environments.
* Action Required: Implement the 9 activities outlined in the ToFEI implementation manual, participate in the School Challenge and promote awareness.
Students:
* Impact: Benefit from a healthier, tobacco-free environment, increased awareness of tobacco harms.
* Action Required: Participate in awareness programs, quizzes, and campaigns.
Local Authorities:
* Impact: Responsible for immediate action to enforce tobacco-free zones around educational institutions.
* Action Required: Ensure no tobacco products are sold within the 100-yard zone around educational institutions.
Key Entities Referenced
Tobacco Free Educational Institutions: A program and guideline aimed at making schools and colleges completely free from tobacco use and sale, abbreviated as ToFEI.
Global Youth Tobacco Survey: A survey, abbreviated as GYTS, that collects data on tobacco use among young people.
Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act COTPA 2003: An act to prohibit advertisement of, and to provide for regulation of trade and commerce in, and production, supply and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products
Department of School Education and Literacy: A department under the Ministry of Education, abbreviated as DoSEL, responsible for school education and literacy.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: A ministry of the Government of India responsible for health and family welfare policies and programs.
NCERT: National Council of Educational Research and Training, an autonomous organization of the Government of India that provides support and resources to schools.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India that translated ToFEI guidelines into the regional language for wider reach.
Puducherry: A Union Territory in India that created a Live Organ Museum to educate students on tobacco's harms.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4054
ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025
Tobacco Free Educational Institutions
4054. Shri Basavaraj Bommai:
Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION
be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that as per the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-2), 2019, 8.5
per cent of Indian students aged 13–15 years were using tobacco in some form and more
than 5,500 children in the country start using tobacco every day;
(b) if so, whether the Government has taken any steps to curb the prevalence of tobacco
use among youth and school children and developed any strategies and assessment tools
to strengthen health literacy among them and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has identified best practices or success stories in implementing
Tobacco Free Educational Institutions; and
(d) if so, whether there is any plans to replicate such practices across the country and the
progress made so far in achieving “Tobacco Free Educational Institutions” (TOFEI) in
the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHOUDHARY)
(a) As per the findings of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4), 2019, 8.4% Indian
students aged 13–15 years were using tobacco in some form or the other. Findings of
the survey available in the public domain at
https://ntcp.mohfw.gov.in/assets/document/surveys-reports-
publications/GYTS%204%20Final%20Report.pdf.
(b) to (d) The Government has taken several measures to curb the prevalence of tobacco
use among youth and make schools to tobacco free. Some of the key measures taken
are given below:
i. Government had released Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions
(ToFEI) in 2008 and same was updated in 2019. It provides a structuredguideline to make schools and colleges completely free from tobacco use and
sale.
ii. DoSEL had launched the implementation Manual of ToFEI on 31st May 2024.
It aims to assist schools in adhering to the ToFEI guidelines, thereby creating a
healthier, tobacco-free environment for students. The manual covering 9
activities to be taken up by the schools, empowers all the stakeholders to adopt
and enforce guidelines that protect students from the dangers of tobacco.
iii. A joint DO letter from Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL),
Department of Higher Education and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
was issued on 18th September, 2024 to all States and UTs requesting to strictly
implement ToFEI guidelines and various provisions of Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 (especially Section 6A and 6B).
iv. In November 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory to all
States/UTs to strictly implement ToFEI and COTPA provisions.
v. A national call for a month-long enforcement drive was issued by DoSEL on 19
May 2025, directing States/UTs to ensure areas around schools remain free from
tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, through concrete measures for effective
implementation of activities mentioned in ToFEI guidelines and the provisions
of Sections 6A and 6B of COTPA, 2003. It was highlighted that, under the
ToFEI guidelines, immediate action from local authorities is required on two
key activities: Activity 8 – marking a yellow line 100 yards around educational
institutions to designate a tobacco-free zone, and Activity 9 – ensuring that no
shops or vendors sell tobacco products within that 100-yard zone.
vi. The National Workshop on “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics
on Tobacco and Nicotine Products,” was organized by DoSEL held on 31 May
2025 to strengthen awareness and promote the effective implementation of
ToFEI guidelines. The workshop provided a common platform for officials and
representatives from the Ministries of Health & Family Welfare and Home
Affairs, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCrB), NCERT, CBSE, State/UT
governments, civil society organizations, domain experts, the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the National Service Scheme (NSS), and
students from educational institutions. During the workshop, modules initiatives
developed by NCERT such as the School Health Programme (SHP) and
Manodarpan initiative were explained to the States. Several States/UTs
presented their best practices in the implementation of ToFEI which includedtranslation of ToFEI guidelines into the regional language by Andhra Pradesh
for wider reach, creation of a Live Organ Museum by Puducherry to educate
students on tobacco’s harms, and mobilization of students by Meghalaya
through rallies, signature campaigns, and street plays for student led advocacy
efforts. The best case studies from various States were shared with all
stakeholders.
vii. The World No Tobacco Day Awareness Quiz (with 10 questions) 2025 was
launched on MyGov on 22 May, 2025. This initiative aims to foster awareness
among school/college students about the harmful effects of tobacco and the
deceptive marketing strategies used by the tobacco and nicotine industry. So
far, the quiz has witnessed more than 69,000 participants.
viii. ‘The School Challenge: Towards a Tobacco-Free Generation’ was launched by
DoSEL on 11 June 2025 on the MyGov platform to spread awareness about the
harmful effects of tobacco use. The Challenge comprises four activities—Rally,
Nukkad Natak, Posters, and Slogans/Poems—which schools can use to mobilise
local communities against tobacco consumption and promote the message: “Say
NO to Tobacco, YES to Health.” This initiative is aimed at inspiring students to
become agents of change and catalysts for achieving a tobacco-free generation.
As on 13.08.2025, more than 4,000 schools have participated in the School
Challenge.
In addition to the above measures, the Government, in collaboration with NCERT,
continuously conducts capacity-building programmes and awareness sessions for school heads
across all States and UTs to spread awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use, foster
positive behavioural changes, and strengthen the implementation of ToFEI guidelines in
schools.
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