A select list of schools across Punjab has been chosen to participate in the fifth round of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-5), a nationwide school-based study aimed at understanding patterns of tobacco use and related risk factors among adolescents.The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Punjab, has written to all District Education Officers (Secondary) and heads of the selected 66 schools in the state, directing them to extend full cooperation for the smooth conduct of the survey. The communication followed a letter from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab.According to the SCERT letter, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is conducting the survey across the country, with the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE), Chennai, designated as the National Nodal Agency for its implementation.The school-based survey will cover students of Classes 8, 9 and 10, aged between 13 and 15 years, and will assess their exposure to tobacco use, peer pressure and second-hand smoking, among other risk factors. The survey is to be conducted in selected schools across Punjab between August and December 2026.Amritsar leads the initiative with the highest participation count at 9 selected schools, followed by Ludhiana with 7 schools, and Jalandhar with 6 institutions participating. Both Hoshiarpur and Patiala will see survey drives across 5 designated schools each, matching the coverage in Sangrur. Additionally, 3 schools each have been earmarked in Barnala, Bathinda, and Sri Muktsar Sahib.A total of seven districts—including Faridkot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Pathankot, and Rupnagar—will participate with 2 schools each, while Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) is also included with 2 selected sites.Meanwhile, single-school representations are slated for Ferozepur, Moga, and Tarn Taran districts. District Education Officers (DEOs) and appointed nodal officials across the state have been directed to ensure full logistical cooperation, monitoring, and seamless execution to facilitate this critical public health effort.ICMR-NIE had earlier written to the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, seeking the state’s support in facilitating coordination with the School Education Department for necessary permissions, and requesting the nomination of a state nodal officer to coordinate GYTS-5 activities. The Additional Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, had also earlier communicated with all State and UT Health Secretaries seeking their cooperation for the exercise.SCERT Director Kiran Sharma, in the directions issued to district officials, has asked heads of the selected schools to give the survey teams timely permission, adequate space and full cooperation for conducting the exercise, while District Education Officers have been asked to monitor the process in schools falling under their jurisdiction to ensure it is completed smoothly and without hindrance.