-National Conference on ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh – The War Against Drugs’ held at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
-Governor of Haryana Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh along with Vice Chancellors of various universities of Punjab express solidarity for finding solutions to the drug menace
Punjab Governor Shri Gulab Chand Kataria said that the fight against drugs is not the responsibility of the government or police alone, but a collective responsibility of the entire society. He said that drug abuse is not only a serious issue for Punjab but for the entire country, as anti-national forces are conspiring to weaken the nation by trapping youth in the vicious cycle of drugs.
Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was addressing a national conference on the theme ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh – The War Against Drugs’ at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law today. Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh was also present on the occasion. Along with him, Vice Chancellors of various universities of Punjab expressed their commitment and solidarity towards collectively addressing the issue of drug abuse.
Mr. Kataria expressed confidence that with the joint efforts of the government, administration, educational institutions, social and religious organisations, and the general public, the menace of drugs can be eradicated from its roots. Calling for a collective public movement to save the younger generation from drugs, he said that protecting the next generation means securing the future of the country.
Referring to the achievements of the Punjab Government’s ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, Governor Kataria said that this campaign is not limited to action against drug smugglers, but is a comprehensive social movement aimed at creating awareness among youth, providing treatment and rehabilitation, promoting education, sports and skill development. He said that universities, schools and other educational institutions must play a vital role in research, awareness generation and social participation for preventing drug abuse.
He also appealed to all Vice Chancellors and educationists to ensure that their campuses remain free from drugs and to engage with students who have fallen prey to addiction and help them in their journey towards de-addiction. Shri Kataria said that it is time to wake up and youth trapped in the vicious cycle of drugs need love and support instead of rejection. He added that society is also responsible for creating circumstances that led to this situation, and now it is our collective responsibility to eliminate this disease.
Meanwhile, Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh also shared his views on the problem of drug abuse. Haryana First Lady Smt. Mitra Ghosh was also present on the occasion.
Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Prof. Jai Shankar Singh, while welcoming the guests, informed that the university is providing special legal training to police officers regarding strong legal action against drug smugglers and ensuring punishment for offenders, to support the Punjab Government’s ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign.
Vice Chancellor of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University, Prof. (Dr.) Pushpinder Singh Gill, in his keynote address, shared his views on effective solutions to the social problem of drug abuse. On this occasion, Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University, Dr. Jagdeep Singh, and Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Dr. Karamjit Singh, also addressed the gathering and emphasised the role of educational institutions in creating a drug-free society.
Conference Organising Secretary Dr. Jasleen Kevalani informed about the objectives of the conference and said that it was organised with the collaboration of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University, Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University and Punjabi University, Patiala.
Dr. Jasleen Kevalani said that the objective of the conference was to deliberate upon the growing challenge of drug abuse and explore a comprehensive strategy involving educational institutions, legal awareness, sports, rehabilitation and community participation.
At the conclusion of the conference, Registrar of Law University Prof. Ivneet Walia delivered the vote of thanks.
Those present on the occasion included Vice Chancellors of various universities Prof. Satbir Singh Gosal, Prof. Ajay Ranga, Dean Academic Dr. Naresh Kumar Vats, Dean Research Dr. Kamaljit Kaur, Dr. Jasleen Kevalani, SSP Varun Sharma, SP Vaibhav Chaudhary, ADC Navreet Kaur Sekhon, Dr. Ankit Srivastava, Dr. Brindpreet Kaur, Dr. Gagan Preet, Dr. Gurmanpreet, Dr. Kamaljit, Dr. Rachna Sharma, Dr. Wazida Rehman, Harkiran Singh, Dr. Komal Jain, Dr. Neelam K. Sharma and Colonel Parminder Singh Sidhu from Sports University, along with members of the organising committee, faculty members, researchers and a large number of students.
During the event, books authored by Prof. (Dr.) Jai Shankar Singh and Dr. Jaswinder Kaur, along with a book written by Dr. Birender Singh and edited by Dr. Jasleen Kevalani, were also released.