The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through its MY Bharat initiative, has organised Neighbourhood Youth Parliaments and Yuva Melas as part of the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Abhiyan, a nationwide campaign to build awareness about substance abuse among young people. On October 10, 2026, these programmes were held simultaneously across 1,469 locations in 34 states, drawing participation from over 3.65 lakh youth and citizens.
The campaign, running under the banner of the 100 Weeks Campaign, aims to strengthen youth engagement at the grassroots level, raise consciousness about the dangers of drug abuse, and empower young people to take an active role in preventing substance abuse in their communities.
Key facts
- Neighbourhood Youth Parliaments and Yuva Melas held on October 10, 2026
- Coverage across 1,469 locations in 34 states
- Over 3.65 lakh youth and citizens participated
- A total of 4,552 activities were organised
- 4,568 slogans collected from participants
- Six public representatives attended, including one Member of Parliament and five Members of Legislative Assemblies
- Collaborating organisations include Heartfulness, Project Point, CIPU, ASSOCHAM, FICCI and Brahma Kumaris
What are Neighbourhood Youth Parliaments
Neighbourhood Youth Parliaments are block-level forums designed to facilitate structured discussions among young people about pressing social issues. In this instance, they focused on substance abuse as a public health concern. These parliaments created spaces for youth to understand the challenges linked to drug addiction, explore practical strategies to convert awareness into community action, and share stories of individuals who have overcome substance abuse.
By organising these discussions at the neighbourhood level, the initiative brought the conversation closer to communities most affected by drug-related problems, allowing young people to become agents of change in their own areas.
Activities and engagement methods
The programmes employed multiple youth-led activities to maximise participation and impact. Participants engaged in the Nasha Mukt Yuva Pledge, a commitment mechanism to promote drug-free living. Slogan-writing competitions allowed young people to express the campaign’s message in creative ways. Signature campaigns, debates and Nukkad Nataks, which are street plays, served as interactive tools to reach wider audiences and spread awareness about substance abuse prevention.
These diverse formats ensured that the campaign could engage young people with different interests and learning styles, from those who prefer discussion-based forums to those who engage through creative expression and performance.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration
The Yuva Melas were organised with support from spiritual organisations, university associations and industry associations. This multi-stakeholder approach strengthened the reach of the campaign beyond government efforts alone. Organisations such as Heartfulness, Project Point, CIPU, ASSOCHAM, FICCI and Brahma Kumaris contributed their networks and resources to amplify the anti-drug message across diverse communities and sectors.
The participation of public representatives, including one Member of Parliament and five Members of Legislative Assemblies, added political weight to the initiative and signalled government commitment to the cause at multiple levels.
What this means for you
If you are a young person in one of the 34 participating states, these programmes create formal channels for you to voice concerns about substance abuse in your neighbourhood and to collectively work on solutions. The campaign recognises youth as leaders in social change, not passive recipients of anti-drug messaging.
For parents, educators and community leaders, the widespread mobilisation signals that substance abuse prevention is becoming a priority issue with dedicated grassroots mechanisms. The collection of 4,568 slogans and organisation of 4,552 activities demonstrates that the campaign is building a body of local knowledge and community-generated solutions that can be adapted to your specific context.
For those seeking to understand youth engagement in public health campaigns, this initiative offers a model of how to structure neighbourhood-level conversations on sensitive topics while maintaining broad participation across social and institutional lines.