Union Home Minister Inaugurates 3rd National Anti-Narcotics Conference
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the 3rd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of States/UTs in New Delhi on September 22, 2026. During the event, Shah launched Television Commercials (TVCs) for anti-narcotics awareness, laid the foundation stone of new zonal complexes of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Lucknow and Dehradun, and launched the newly designed NCB website. The conference included participation from ANTF heads from 36 States and Union Territories along with representatives of concerned government departments and stakeholders.
Comprehensive 2029 Drug-Free India Roadmap
Shah announced the ambitious target of completely uprooting the drug trade from India by December 31, 2029, emphasizing that neither a single gram of drugs would be allowed to enter India nor leave the country. The strategy is built around the 'Vision Document 2026-2029', which was prepared after discussions with over 35 departments and serves as the comprehensive roadmap for anti-narcotics efforts. The document outlines over 100 targets categorized across four pillars: Enforcement, intelligence & operations; Control of precursor & synthetic drugs; Demand & harm reduction; and Capacity building & coordination.
Operational Strategy and Implementation Framework
The Home Minister outlined significant operational changes, emphasizing the need to move from a seizure-centric approach to network dismantling. Districts will be categorized into three clusters: drug manufacturing or entry districts, transportation corridor districts, and consumption districts. Cartels will be targeted at three levels: entry points, interstate distribution systems, and local cell networks in districts. The strategy prioritizes financial investigations and tracing digital links alongside backward-forward investigations to target drug dealers' funds.
Awareness and Capacity Building Initiatives
Under the Nashamukt Mitras program, 46,780 volunteers have already been registered across various ministries, with plans to deploy them to 10 lakh schools, colleges, and institutions across the country to create awareness among youth and sensitize campus directors. The government is emphasizing technology and forensics in capacity building, and states are urged to form teams of officers who think 'out-of-the-box' to address emerging challenges including synthetic drugs, precursor chemical diversion, new communication technologies, dark-net, crypto, and international drug networks.
Enforcement and Legal Measures
Shah emphasized increasing utilization of PITNDPS (Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) and developing a complete roadmap from investigation to conviction in coordination with public prosecutors. A dedicated campaign will be launched to deport foreign accused present in India and blacklist them to prevent re-entry, while fugitives supplying drugs from abroad should be caught and brought before Indian courts. The goal is to transform ANTF into an 'Anti-Narco Mission Command' with state chief secretaries adopting different approaches regarding manpower, technology, budget, and resources.