– Mita Mukherjee

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has asked its affiliated schools to display “drug-free school” sign boards inside, outside and areas within the campuses as part of its commitment to provide ” safe, healthy and drug- free” learning environment” on campuses.

The CISCE advise to schools follows a recent communication from the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education reiterating the Centre’s Three- Year Nasha Mukt Action Plan on declaring every school campus as “drug-free” school within a radius of 500 metres “with the objective of creating safe, healthy, tobacco- and drug-free school environments in schools across the country through awareness, prevention, capacity building and community participation”.

The CISCE had advised the schools to participate in the three-year Action Plan on July 31 on the basis of an earlier order from the Centre.

The CISCE has received a fresh communication reiterating the main intervention of the Action Plan on September 9, the CISCE said.

“CISCE has now received a subsequent communication from the Department of School Education & Litercy, Ministry of Education, Government of India dated 9 September, 2026, reiterating one of the key interventions under the action plan: declaration of educational campuses as drug- free schools within a radius of 500 metres,” the CISCE said in a circular issued to school principals.

According to the circular, the ministry has asked schools to prominently display the approved ” drug-free” signage at the entrance, outside the school premises and within the premises using the approved template provided by the Ministry of Education/ Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The signage should be clearly visible to students, parents and visitors and appropriately maintained as a visible affirmation of the school’s commitment to providing a safe, healthy and drug- free environment, the CISCE said.

“The display of the signage will serve as a visible affirmation of the school’s commitment to maintaining a safe, healthy and drug-free learning environment, besides creating greater awareness among students, parents and the wider community,” the Ministry of Education said.

The CISCE in its circular said that the schools who have not registered on the Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya Portal to complete the registration process at the earliest.

Several schools welcomed the move and many of them said that the institutions have already taken appropriate steps to create anti- addiction awareness among students and maintain tobacco and drug-free campuses.

However, some schools said it is possible to monitor students when they are in school But it is difficult to control them when they are outside.

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