Shah to Bolster India's Anti-Drug Fight with New 2029 Roadmap

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to inaugurate the 3rd National ANTF Conference in New Delhi tomorrow, September 22, launching a critical two-day event focused on supercharging India's mission to become drug-free by 2029. This significant gathering, organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), will bring together Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) heads from all 36 states and Union Territories (UTs) to align strategies under the recently unveiled Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029). The conference aims to foster a 'United Resolve, Shared Responsibility' approach to tackle the growing menace of drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country. The discussions will dive deep into the four strategic pillars of the 2026-2029 Vision Document: strengthening enforcement and intelligence, controlling precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs, reducing demand and harm, and building capacity and coordination. This aggressive roadmap seeks to move beyond isolated drug seizures to dismantle larger drug cartels and networks, including those operating on the Darknet. India's anti-drug efforts are already coordinated through mechanisms like the National Anti-Narcotics Coordination Mechanism (NCORD) and initiatives like the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA), which have seen a significant increase in drug seizures and public awareness campaigns. Looking ahead, the conference is expected to generate concrete, actionable strategies for the next three years, with a focus on network-centric enforcement and financial investigations to target drug kingpins and bring back fugitives. Amit Shah will also lay the foundation stones for new Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Complexes in Lucknow and Dehradun, and release public awareness Television Commercials (TVCs) to bolster the 'Drug-Free India' message. The overarching goal is to protect India's youth and contribute to the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047.