The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has strengthened implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes for drug demand reduction, rehabilitation, and social justice through simplified fund release procedures and enhanced service delivery. Minister of State Shri B. L. Verma provided this information in a written reply to Parliament questions from Smt Pratima Mondal.
The Department established stringent monitoring mechanisms for timely processing of proposals and fund releases under various schemes. A revised Standard Operating Procedure has been introduced to simplify grant releases to partner NGOs implementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) and Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) by reducing documentation requirements and improving administrative efficiency.
The Ministry's strategy is based on findings from the first National Survey on Substance Use in India conducted by AIIMS's National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre. The survey estimates 15.10 crore adult alcohol users (18-75 years), followed by 2.90 crore cannabis users, 1.90 crore opioid users, 1.10 crore sedative users, and 60 lakh inhalant users. Among children and adolescents (10-17 years), there are approximately 40 lakh opioid users, 30 lakh alcohol users, 30 lakh inhalant users, and 20 lakh cannabis users.
Under NAPDDR, the Ministry provides financial assistance to State Governments, Union Territories, NGOs, and Government hospitals for preventive education, awareness generation, counselling, treatment, and rehabilitation. Current support includes 344 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs), 45 Community-based Peer Led Interventions (CPLIs), 76 Outreach and Drop-in Centres (ODICs), 145 District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs), and 155 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs), totaling 765 facilities nationwide.
The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), launched on 15 August 2020 and expanded to all districts in August 2023, has reached 29.68 crore citizens including 11.43 crore youth and 8.05 crore women through nationwide awareness activities. The campaign has engaged over 1.17 lakh Nasha Mukti Mitras for community participation and has treated and rehabilitated 28.29 lakh persons while conducting outreach in 21.73 lakh educational institutions.
To improve treatment accessibility, the Ministry launched the NMBA 2.0 Mobile Application enabling citizens to locate nearest de-addiction centres. During 2024-25, 55 new District De-Addiction Centres were approved in GAP districts, while 21 additional DDACs were established during 2025-26, further expanding de-addiction infrastructure.
Independent third-party evaluations by Development & Research Services Pvt. Ltd. in December 2024 and NITI Aayog in 2025 found that NAPDDR has made significant progress in strengthening institutional capacity and creating awareness against substance abuse nationwide.