Ministry of Education Launches Nationwide Drive to Create Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Nationwide enforcement drive to make educational institutions tobacco and substance-free zones. |
| Initiative | Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) Guidelines launched by the Ministry of Education. |
| Objective | Protect youth from tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. |
| Key Directive | Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) instructs States/UTs to enforce guidelines. |
| Apex Committee | 8th NCORD meeting on May 15, 2025 emphasized shielding students from substance abuse. |
| Statistics | GYTS-2, 2019: 8.5% students (13-15 years) use tobacco. Over 5,500 children start daily. |
| Guidelines | Display signage, no tobacco use on campus, posters on harmful effects, tobacco monitors, etc. |
| Immediate Actions | Marking yellow line (100 yards), closing tobacco shops within 100 yards, local authority support. |
| Drive Duration | May 31 (World No Tobacco Day) to June 26 (International Day Against Drug Abuse). |
| Legal Enforcement | Section 6(b) of COTPA, 2003: Prohibits sale of tobacco within 100 yards of schools/colleges. |
| Stakeholders | School Management Committees (SMCs), parents, teachers, local authorities. |
| Awareness Campaign | 'World No Tobacco Day Awareness Quiz-2025' on MyGov (May 22 to July 21). |