'Youth Spiritual Summit' in Varanasi to kick off special drive against drug addiction: Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said that a ‘Youth Spiritual Summit’ will be organised in Varanasi from July 18 to 20, which will mark the beginning of special and intensive drive to free the youngsters of drug addiction and also prepare themselves to become ‘torchbearers of Amrit Kaal’ while shaping their role in the nation-building.

The transformative initiative themed under ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat’ will seek to tap the youth for empowering ‘yuva shakti’ and also fostering a drug-free society.

Addressing a press conference in the capital, Mansukh Mandaviya said, “The summit will pave the way for a massive grassroots movement – Jan Andolan – to identify the drug sources, eradicate them at the root, and build a drug‑free India.”

The Union Minister, further underscoring the country’s youth as the “Torchbearers of Amrit Kaal – the path to a Viksit Bharat,” said that over 65 per cent of India’s population is under 35, and this makes them the driving force behind the nation’s growth.

Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary call for a Viksit Bharat by 2047, he emphasised that our young generation must lead from the front, not only as beneficiaries but as changemakers shaping India’s destiny.

He cautioned that substance abuse remains one of the gravest threats confronting the youth today and said that if they get trapped in drug abuse at a young age, this only ruins their future but also impacts national progress.

He said that the government has been running a holistic, inclusive, and future-oriented anti‑drug campaign in partnership with NGOs, educational institutions, and spiritual organisations to confront the drug menace.

The three-day Summit to be held along the sacred ghats of the River Ganga will see 500 youth delegates drawn from the youth wings of 100 spiritual organisations, who will deliberate and ideate actionable strategies for eradicating drug addiction.

The Summit’s four plenary sessions will cover: understanding addiction and its impact on youth; dismantling peddler networks and commercial interests; effective campaigning and outreach; and charting a comprehensive commitment toward Nasha Mukt Bharat by 2047.

Keynote addresses by experts, moderated panel discussions, and open whiteboard forums will further ensure that every delegate contributes to shaping this national strategy.

--IANS

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