Chalk Against 'Chitta', Punjab’s Classrooms Become Frontline in Yudh Nashean Virudh

Chandigarh, July 2, 2026: As schools across Punjab reopen after a month-long summer break, thousands of teachers are playing a pivotal role in ensuring that Punjab goes drug-free in the coming days.
The frontline is shifting from police stations and rehabilitation and de-addiction centres to schools and classrooms, as part of the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign. Through a cadre of sensitised teachers, aware principals, and safe school spaces, the Bhagwant Mann government is building a safety net around each child, providing knowledge around the dangers of drug use, skills to combat mental stress, and options for safe and anonymous reporting.
To strengthen this frontline, Punjab is investing in the people who interact with adolescents every day. With support from experts from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, over 1,400 Heads of Schools across nine districts, particularly the border districts, have been sensitised to identify early warning signs of substance use, respond with empathy, and address mental health through a public health lens.
Noting the significance of the initiatives, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Every child saved from addiction is a family protected and a future secured. By making schools spaces where children build their confidence, resilience and life skills, the state is laying the foundation for a much healthier and stronger society. Our objective is not merely to warn children about the dangers of drugs,” he said, adding that “but to equip them with the knowledge, strength, and informed decision-making needed to make informed choices.”
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the various initiatives reflect the government’s unwavering focus on securing the future of Punjab’s youth. “Teachers have always played a role in the transformation of society and the CM-led initiatives against drug abuse are already bringing positive results. We have to realise that it is teamwork in which teachers or mentors play a central role.”