Content

1. Government to celebrate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26th June, 2025
2. ECINET Operations started in Bye-polls

Government to celebrate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26th June, 2025

Context & Occasion

• Observed on: 26th June annually as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
• Organiser: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE).

Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues ,Governance)

Nodal Ministry & Policy Framework

• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) is the nodal ministry for drug demand reduction.
• Key mandate: Prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and public awareness.
• Framework: National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) Highlights

• Launched: As a nationwide awareness movement.
• Scope: Operational in all districts.
• Target groups: Youth, students (HEIs/schools), and communities.

Key Achievements

• People sensitized: 15.78+ crore, including:
  • 5.26+ crore youth
  • 3.31+ crore women
• Educational institutions involved: 4.31+ lakh.
• Master Volunteers (MVs): 20,000+ trained.
• Pledge Campaign: 1.67+ crore students from 99,595 institutions pledged to stay drug-free.

Digital & Outreach Tools

• NMBA App: Live on Google Play Store; real-time data tracking at district/state/national levels.
• NMBA Website: Offers dashboard, discussion forum, and e-pledge.
• Social Media: Active campaigns via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Community Engagement

• Events Organized:
  • Nashe se Azaadi – Youth Interaction
  • Naya Bharat, Nasha Mukt Bharat
  • NMBA Interaction with NCC
• Partnerships: MoUs signed with major spiritual/social service orgs (Art of Living, ISKCON, etc.) for awareness drives.

Institutional Support

• All de-addiction facilities geo-tagged for public accessibility.
• NGOs/VOs supported under NAPDDR mobilized for outreach from 1st–26th June 2025.

Public Health Perspective

• Drug dependence seen as psycho-social-medical issue.
• Leads to:
  • Neuro-psychiatric disorders
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Social disruptions (accidents, violence, suicides).

Way Forward

• Jan Andolan approach emphasized to involve masses.
• Calls for multi-stakeholder participation to sustain awareness and prevention at grassroots level.

Data and Facts :

National Survey on Extent & Pattern of Substance Use in India (2019)

(MoSJE, released 2019; age group 10-75 yrs unless noted)

• Alcohol
  • 16 crore current users ≈ 14.6 % of population surveyed
  • 5.2 % of all adults (≈ 5.8 crore) are alcohol-dependent
• Cannabis
  • 3.1 crore users ≈ 2.8 % prevalence
  • 72 lakh people ( 0.66 %) have cannabis-related disorders
• Opioids
  • Overall use 2.06 % (≈ 2.3 crore people)
  • 0.55 % (≈ 60 lakh) urgently need treatment/health services
• Sedatives (non-medical use)
  • 1.18 crore users ≈ 1.08 %
• Inhalants
  • Children & adolescents: 1.7 % users (≈ 22 lakh)
  • Adults: 0.58 % users
  • 18 lakh minors need intervention for inhalant abuse
• Injecting Drug Users (IDU / PWID)
  • ≈ 8.5 lakh people actively inject psychoactive substances

ECINET Operations started in Bye-polls

Context & Background

• Event: Successful implementation of ECINET in bye-elections.
• States involved: Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, and West Bengal.
• Bye-elections held in 5 Assembly Constituencies.
• ECINET was announced earlier on 4th May 2025 as a one-stop digital platform integrating 40+ ECI applications.

Relevance : GS 2(Elections , Reforms)

About ECINET

• Developed by Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and real-time access to election data.
• Designed under the leadership of CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.

Key Outcomes in Bye-Elections

• VTR Trends (Voter Turnout Reports):
  • Uploaded directly by Presiding Officers (PROs) at polling stations.
  • Replaced earlier manual reporting, reducing time lag and enhancing accuracy.
  • Enabled real-time public access to approximate voter turnout data.

• Index Card Generation:
  • Published within 72 hours of result declaration — a major speed improvement.
  • Earlier: Took days to months due to manual data entry and verification.
  • Now: Most fields are auto-filled via ECINET inputs.

About Index Cards

• Non-statutory post-election statistical reports, introduced in the late 1980s.
• Purpose: Promote data transparency and accessibility at the constituency level.
• Contents include:
  • Candidates and party-wise vote share
  • Elector demographics and turnout
  • Gender-based voting patterns
  • Regional variations and party performance
• Audience: Useful for academics, policymakers, media, researchers, and the public.
• Access via: https://www.eci.gov.in/statistical-reports → Bye-elections tab.

Significance of ECINET

• Enhances digital governance in the electoral process.
• Fosters data-driven election analysis.
• Reduces bureaucratic delay and human error in election reporting.
• Builds greater public trust in the election process through transparency.