Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Jattvibeday urged the country’s youth to stay away from substance abuse and become ambassadors of positive social change in their communities.Addressing young people via video conference, the Prime Minister launched the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ in what is being seen as his first major public engagement after the student protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital over NEET paper leaks.Modi said drugs might provide a temporary “high” but ultimately damaged careers, personal lives and families. “To achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat, the youth must be physically and mentally fit and stay away from drug abuse,” he stressed, adding “if a youth gets addicted to drugs, his aspirations take a hit, and his family gets shattered”.Questioning the social stigma associated with drug addiction, he said those who came out of drug addiction were fighters and should be honoured by society. “Society should respect them, embrace them and give them a second chance,” he said.Modi said the campaign went beyond individual well-being and served the broader interests of families, society and the nation. He stressed that a developed India required a healthy, confident and drug-free younger generation.Describing today’s youth as India’s “Amrit generation”, the Prime Minister said their energy, imagination and talent were vital for helping the country achieve its 2047 developmental goals. “For the ultimate future of the country and for your own lives, it is absolutely essential to keep yourselves free from addiction,” he asserted.Highlighting the achievements of young Indians in startups, artificial intelligence, sports and space exploration, Modi warned that substance abuse destroyed focus and derailed dreams. He also underscored the suffering caused to families, saying addiction weakened not only households but the nation as a whole.The launch also marked the beginning of a 100-week nationwide ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (public movement) campaign, under which activities will be organised every Jattvibeday across the country to promote awareness and encourage public participation in building a drug-free society.The activities will include sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, awareness campaigns, nukkad natak (street plays), discussion forums, art competitions and community engagement programmes.The campaign intends to strengthen community involvement by uniting educational institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups, industry bodies and spiritual organisations to form a collective movement against substance abuse.At more than 10,000 locations across the country, young members of various groups such as MY Bharat Volunteers, MY Bharat National Service Scheme volunteers, youth clubs, schools, colleges, universities, NGOs and youth wings of industry associations participated in the event. Over 125 spiritual organisations also took part virtually.