Union Home Minister Sets December 2028 Deadline to Make Gujarat Drug-Free

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a target to make Gujarat drug-free by December 31, 2028, which is a full year ahead of the national deadline of December 31, 2029. Speaking in Ahmedabad on Monday, November 9, 2026, he launched development projects worth ₹1,024 crore and asserted that governments alone cannot stop narcotics without active public help.

Public Role

Mr. Shah urged citizens to report drug sales and consumption using toll-free helplines and promised that informer identities will be kept secret. He asked teachers to watch for behavioural changes in students like bloodshot eyes, sleeping in class, or low focus, and to arrange tests. Parents must also watch over teenage children. A new dedicated State control room will open in Gujarat on December 1 for reporting drug use, and rehabilitation centres will be built to help victims recover.

Context

Drug trafficking networks often fund illegal armed violence and disrupt public safety while harming young people. Anti-drug drives in India rely heavily on public tip-offs and stricter local enforcement to cut off supply lines.