Chandigarh, July 31:Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, today chaired a high-level meeting at Punjab Lok Bhavan, Chandigarh, with the Vice-Chancellors of universities across Punjab and Chandigarh to review preparations for the "MY Bharat Yuva Connect – Nasha Mukt Abhiyan", a nationwide campaign aimed at mobilising youth against drug abuse.

The meeting was attended physically by Additional Chief Secretary to the Punjab Governor Shri Vivek Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh Shri Nishant Yadav, Secretary, School Education, Chandigarh Administration, Ms. Prerna Puri, IAS, Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, Prof. Meenakshi Goyal, Director, MY Bharat Yuva Connect Punjab, Ms. Rashmeet Kaur, District Youth Officer, MY Bharat Chandigarh, Shri Vinay Kumar, and Shri Lalit Jain, IAS, while the Vice-Chancellors of universities across Punjab and Chandigarh participated through virtual mode.

Addressing the meeting, Governor Shri Gulab Chand Kataria emphasised that educational institutions have a pivotal role in creating a drug-free society by inspiring young people to adopt a healthy, disciplined and responsible lifestyle. He said the MY Bharat Yuva Connect – Nasha Mukt Abhiyan provides an excellent platform to unite students, teachers and educational institutions in the national movement against substance abuse.

The Governor directed all universities to ensure maximum participation of students, faculty members and volunteers in the Nasha Mukti e-Pledge (e-Shapat) Campaign through the MY Bharat Portal. He instructed universities to immediately commence preparations for the main programme scheduled to be held on 2 August 2026 at 10:00 AM, during which the Hon'ble Prime Minister will address participants virtually. He stressed that every eligible student should be encouraged to register on the MY Bharat Portal, take the Nasha Mukti Pledge and download the e-certificate.

To ensure effective implementation, the Governor directed every university to nominate a dedicated Nodal Officer to coordinate with university departments, constituent colleges, affiliated colleges and MY Bharat functionaries. He emphasised that a target-based approach should be adopted for volunteer enrolment and pledge registration, with regular monitoring of progress at every level.

Shri Kataria further directed that the campaign should not remain confined to university headquarters but should be actively implemented across all constituent and affiliated colleges. He called upon universities to give wide publicity to the campaign through institutional websites, social media platforms, student groups, digital screens, notices and other available communication channels so that the message of a drug-free India reaches every young citizen.

The Governor also urged universities to organise seminars, awareness lectures, rallies, competitions, pledge drives and other outreach programmes throughout the year to sustain the momentum of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. He directed institutions to regularly upload photographs, videos and reports of all activities on the MY Bharat Portal and share participation updates for effective monitoring and documentation. Institutions facing technical issues were advised to immediately coordinate with the designated MY Bharat officials for timely assistance.

Reiterating his commitment to the vision of a Drug-Free Punjab and Drug-Free India, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria called upon universities to transform the campaign into a mass movement by ensuring the active participation of students, teachers and youth volunteers. He expressed confidence that with the collective efforts of educational institutions, the campaign would inspire the younger generation to reject substance abuse and become ambassadors of a healthy, aware and responsible society.