The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment signed Memoranda of Understanding with four spiritual organizations - Adhyatm Vigyan Satsang Kendra, Chinmaya Mission, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan, and Hare Krishna Movement - to strengthen the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (Drug-Free India Campaign). The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry's Chintan Conference Hall in New Delhi on September 9, 2026, in the presence of Secretary Sudhansh Pant, Joint Secretary Dr. Sandeep R. Rathod, and other senior officials.
The partnerships aim to leverage the extensive reach and community networks of spiritual organizations for grassroots awareness, prevention, recovery, and social mobilization against substance abuse. Secretary Sudhansh Pant revealed that existing partnerships with spiritual organizations have already helped the Department reach 34.42 crore citizens through various initiatives. He emphasized that these organizations can play a significant role in fostering resilience, reducing stigma associated with substance use disorders, and encouraging affected persons to seek timely help and rehabilitation.
The Ministry has previously partnered with eight other spiritual organizations including The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, ISKCON, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, All World Gayatri Pariwar, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, and the University of Patanjali. As part of the program, an Anti-Drug Pledge was administered, and three short films produced by the Ministry highlighting the ill effects of substance abuse and rehabilitation were screened. Participants were also informed about initiatives like registration as Nasha Mukti Mitra and taking E-Pledge on the NMBA portal.