CM Sukhu stops to meet DAV Nerchowk students, urges drug-free HP
Synopsis
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made an unplanned stop at DAV School, Nerchowk while travelling to Balh, spending time with students and urging them to pursue academics and sports with confidence while pledging solidarity with the Nasha Mukt Himachal de-addiction campaign.
Key Takeaways
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made an unscheduled stop at DAV School, Nerchowk on 26 September 2026 while travelling to Balh .
He encouraged students to excel in both academics and sports , stressing hard work and self-confidence.
He urged children to stay away from drugs and become active participants in the state's Nasha Mukt Himachal campaign.
Nasha Mukt Himachal is the Sukhu government's statewide de-addiction drive, running school-based awareness programmes since 2023 .
Himachal Pradesh has faced documented youth substance abuse challenges, making school-level outreach a core policy tool.
Travelling through Balh on Saturday, 26 September 2026, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu spotted children outside DAV School, Nerchowk and did something instinctive — he stopped. What followed was an unscripted few minutes that touched on ambition, hard work, and one of the state's most pressing public-health battles.
Sharing the moment on X, CM Sukhu wrote: 'Balh jaate hue DAV School, Nerchowk ke paas bacchon ko dekha toh khud ko unse milne se rok nahi paya' — 'On my way to Balh, I spotted the children near DAV School, Nerchowk and simply could not stop myself from meeting them.' He spent a few minutes with the students, spoke at length, and encouraged them to excel not just in academics but in sports as well.
Three messages, one stop
The Chief Minister's impromptu address carried three clear threads. First, he pushed the children to pursue their studies and athletic ambitions with equal seriousness — a consistent theme in the Sukhu government's school outreach since 2023. Second, he stressed mehnat aur aatmvishwas — hard work and self-confidence — as the engine for realising their dreams. Third, and most urgently, he urged them to stay away from drugs and to become active partners in the state's Nasha Mukt Himachal campaign.
What Nasha Mukt Himachal demands from the young
Nasha Mukt Himachal is the Sukhu administration's statewide de-addiction drive, running awareness programmes through schools, colleges, and community institutions across the state. Himachal Pradesh has faced documented challenges with youth substance abuse, and repeated government messaging has targeted educational spaces as the most effective point of intervention. The Chief Minister's appeal to these students — to personally own the anti-drug resolve — reflects exactly that strategy: turn schoolchildren into ambassadors, not just recipients, of the message.
The grammar of an unplanned visit
Indian chief ministers routinely schedule school interactions. What gives this one a different texture is the spontaneity. Sukhu was en route to Balh; DAV School, Nerchowk — part of the sprawling DAV educational network in Mandi district — simply happened to be along the way. That unscripted quality is itself a message: that the state's investment in youth is not just a calendar event but a governing instinct.
The moment is small on its own. But stacked against the Sukhu government's pattern of school-based outreach on education, sport, and de-addiction, it lands as a public reminder that the Nasha Mukt Himachal drive is still very much alive — and that the Chief Minister intends to carry it personally, one school gate at a time.
Point of View
Which can otherwise feel like a bureaucratic slogan, and grounds it in a face-to-face moment with actual children. The Sukhu administration has consistently used educational spaces as its primary arena for combining soft governance (sports, academics) with harder public-health messaging on de-addiction. Framing students not as targets of an awareness drive but as 'partners' in the anti-drug resolve is a shift in register worth noting — it asks young people to own the campaign, not merely absorb it. Whether the government follows up with structural interventions in Mandi district schools will determine whether the moment is symbolic or strategic.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did CM Sukhu stop at DAV School Nerchowk?
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was travelling to Balh when he spotted children near DAV School, Nerchowk and made an unplanned stop to meet and interact with the students.
What is the Nasha Mukt Himachal campaign?
Nasha Mukt Himachal is the Himachal Pradesh government's statewide de-addiction campaign that runs awareness programmes through schools, colleges, and community institutions to combat youth substance abuse.
What did CM Sukhu tell the DAV Nerchowk students?
He encouraged them to excel in both studies and sports, to pursue their dreams with hard work and self-confidence, and to stay away from drugs while joining the Nasha Mukt Himachal campaign.
Where is DAV School Nerchowk located?
DAV School, Nerchowk is located in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, and is affiliated with the nationwide DAV educational network.
What is Himachal Pradesh's approach to drug prevention in schools?
The Sukhu government has run school-based awareness drives on de-addiction since 2023 under the Nasha Mukt Himachal banner, frequently using direct interactions with students as a key outreach method.
