Odisha Advances Drug-Free Campus Initiative to Include Lecturers

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to foster drug-free educational environments, the state of Odisha is considering extending its anti-drug declaration requirement to lecturers in colleges and universities. The Assembly Standing Committee on higher education has recommended this significant measure, urging the state government to implement the rule for lecturers, similar to the existing mandate for students.

Committee chairman Bhupinder Singh announced on Tuesday that the Assembly panel’s recommendation aims to uphold the commitment to maintaining drug-free campuses across the state. Recently, the state government mandated that students sign anti-drug declaration forms during the admission process at higher educational institutions (HEIs), including public universities, government, and non-government aided colleges.

Expanding on this initiative, the Committee now advocates for the inclusion of lecturers in the anti-drug declaration process. This recommendation pertains to lecturers across Plus II, Plus III, and Universities. The overarching goal is to create a comprehensive and inclusive approach towards keeping educational campuses entirely free from any drug-related activities.

The move comes in response to the growing challenge of drug addiction in numerous Higher Educational Institutions, where instances of substance abuse among students have become a pressing concern. By including lecturers in the anti-drug declaration, the state aims to reinforce its commitment to providing a safe and drug-free learning environment for both students and educators.