Shekhawat joins PM Modi's drug-free youth campaign launch at Akshardham
Synopsis
PM Modi virtually launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva, Viksit Bharat – Sankalp Abhiyan' at New Delhi's Akshardham on 2 August 2026, with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attending in person and urging youth to join the national drug-free pledge.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi virtually launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva, Viksit Bharat – Sankalp Abhiyan' on 2 August 2026 .
The event was held at Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi , organised by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha .
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended in person and appealed to youth to stay drug-free and spread awareness.
The campaign is rooted in the earlier Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan launched in August 2020 and is now framed within the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
The government is deploying faith-based partnerships — exemplified by the BAPS venue — to amplify the campaign's social reach.
At the iconic Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi, a national call went out to India's youth on Sunday, 2 August 2026 — and Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was in the audience when Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually fired the opening shot of a campaign that frames sobriety as a pillar of national destiny.
PM Modi launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva, Viksit Bharat – Sankalp Abhiyan' (Drug-Free Youth, Developed India – Resolution Campaign) virtually, urging citizens — and especially young Indians — to commit to building a drug-free nation. Shekhawat, who attended in person, described the occasion as a privilege, noting that the Prime Minister's guidance would 'strengthen the resolve to build a healthy, aware, disciplined and developed India.'
A temple complex as the launchpad for a public-health pledge
The choice of Akshardham — the sprawling cultural and spiritual complex run by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha — was deliberate. It signals the government's continued use of faith-based and civil-society partnerships to carry social-messaging campaigns beyond the bureaucratic machinery and directly into communities. Shekhawat offered 'heartfelt gratitude' to the saints and volunteers of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha for organising what he called an 'inspiring event.'Sankalp Abhiyan's roots in a six-year anti-drug push
The new campaign builds on the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, launched in August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to curb substance abuse across high-prevalence districts. The Sankalp Abhiyan reframes that public-health goal inside the government's larger Viksit Bharat 2047 vision — the argument being that a developed India is impossible without a sober, disciplined young workforce. The linkage is explicit in the campaign's name itself.Shekhawat's appeal to youth: awareness starts at home
Shekhawat used the occasion to issue a direct appeal: stay away from drugs yourself, make your family and society aware, and become a participant in this national resolution. 'Nasha mukt Bharat – Viksit Bharat' (Drug-free India – Developed India), he wrote, is not just a slogan but a collective pledge. The minister's presence at a welfare-focused event outside his own portfolio underlines how the ruling party is mobilising senior leaders across ministries to amplify the campaign's reach. The real test now lies in the state-level and district-level rollout — whether the Sankalp Abhiyan translates the prime-time energy of an Akshardham launch into measurable change on the ground.Point of View
Giving welfare campaigns a development-economy framing that broadens their political appeal. Mobilising a senior minister from the Culture portfolio — rather than Social Justice — signals a whole-of-government branding exercise around the campaign. The use of the BAPS Akshardham complex continues an established pattern of leveraging respected religious institutions to lend moral authority and grassroots reach to state messaging. The campaign's actual impact will depend on whether the district-level machinery follows through, a gap that has historically blunted similar national drives.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nasha Mukt Yuva Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan?
It is a national awareness campaign launched by PM Narendra Modi to promote drug-free youth as part of the Viksit Bharat 2047 development vision, building on the earlier Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan started in August 2020.
Where was the Sankalp Abhiyan launched?
The launch event was held at Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi on 2 August 2026 , organised by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
How did PM Modi participate in the Akshardham drug-free campaign event?
PM Modi participated virtually, delivering an address urging citizens — especially youth — to commit to building a drug-free India.
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat say at the drug-free India campaign launch?
Shekhawat, who attended in person, appealed to youth to stay away from drugs, raise awareness within their families and communities, and join the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat – Viksit Bharat' national resolution.
What is the connection between Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and the new Sankalp Abhiyan?
The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched in August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; the new Sankalp Abhiyan reframes that anti-drug effort within the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 national development goal.
