Colleges in the region took part in online competitions conducted last month by the Narcotics Intelligence Bureau of Police Department to create awareness campaign against drug abuse.
The NIB CID, in continuation of its efforts to curtail the menace of use of drugs by the student/youth community of educational institutions, conducted essay, poetry and slogan writing competitions on the issue. The topics were: ‘Role of students in eradication of drugs’ for essay writing;, ‘The menace of drug abuse’ (not exceeding 20 lines) for poetry writing;, and ‘Ill effects of drugs’ (not exceeding 10 words) for slogan writing competition.
The essays, poems and slogans were evaluated by a team of college professors and the winners were honoured on Thursday in Chennai.
As directed by the Department of Collegiate Education, the circular of the police department for the conduct of the competitions was sent to all the government, government-aided and self-financing colleges, Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education A. Megala said.
Additional Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Agarwal, ADGP-Crime had written to the Collegiate Education Department.
UG and PG students took active part in the competition conducted in English and Tamil, K. Mariammal, Principal, Government Arts and Science College, Lalgudi, said.
The Ministry of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise had initiated the competitions this year by making a sanction of ₹ 25 lakh for the conduct of awareness campaign against drug abuse to curtail the menace and create awareness among youth, especially college students.
At their levels, the colleges chose the best entries and submitted the same through mail and the best entries were selected district-wise.
The NIB CID Regional Office in Tiruchi has been coordinating with the local police for curtailing the menace of drug abuse. “We have been reaching out to the colleges through awareness talks on the ill-effects of drug abuse, and are trying to create a network of informants to curtail drug-peddling,” Vaishnavi, Deputy Superintendent of Police, NIB-CID Tiruchi, said.
The department has been conducting surprise checks on baggages in trains to check movement of drugs from locations in Andhra Pradesh, Ms. Vaishnavi said.
