Rewarding Change: How National Awards Are Shaping Substance Abuse Prevention

Policy Update
Paridhi Jain

BACKGROUND

The increasing substance abuse situation in India in the 2000s reflected the necessity of a more assertive approach to drug demand-reduction as well as the enforcement measures. In 2004, a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and UNODC estimated 62.5 million alcohol users, 8.75 million cannabis users, and almost 2 million opiate users with a dependency rate of 17-26%.

However, there was very little treatment capacity: the number of Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs) nationwide were only 142, and that is much less than the scale of need because approximately 20,000 patients were treated each year. There was an increase in HIV prevalence of injecting drug users, as high as 7 percent amongst high-risk groups in 2011, as compared to 0.4 percent in 2001.

The policy response of India came in the form of a “National Action Plan to Demand Reduction of drugs” (NAPDDR), which not only increased rehabilitation infrastructure to about 140 IRCA by 2011 but also supported the awareness campaigns that were mostly carried out by the NGOs that provide close to 70 percent rehabilitation and outreach services. Nevertheless, the lack of a national system to identify and publish exemplary work led to the establishment of the Scheme of National Awards of Outstanding Services in Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) of Abuse in 2012 which provided a platform through which market impactful interventions and recognition is offered.

Source – Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the Presentation of National Awards for Outstanding Services in the Field of Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse.

INTRODUCTION

Notified in 2012 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the Gazette of India, the Scheme of National Awards of Outstanding Services in the Field of Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse institutionalizes national recognition of individuals and organizations that make a contribution to addiction prevention and rehabilitation in India.

The scheme recognizes inputs across various areas, such as prevention programs, treatment and rehabilitation services, community awareness campaigns, professional capacity development and research or innovation in responding to addiction. It works for the prevention of abuse of – (a) Alcohol, (b) Narcotic Drugs, (c) Psychotropic Substances, (d) Other Addictive Substances, e.g. cough syrups, correction fluid, etc. (Except tobacco and its products because it’s under different public health policy frameworks.)

The first awards were given on 26 June 2013, the day of “the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking”, with President Pranab Mukherjee honouring ten winners at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Some of the earliest awardees were organizations like the Christian Institute of the Study of Religion and Society (Bihar) and individuals like Dr. Xavier Alphonse of Tamil Nadu, whose community-based rehabilitation and addiction counselling work showed novel ways of providing recovery support.

The awards work within the larger context of the National Action Plan on Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) and should be used to supplement the four main pillars of the plan, which are prevention, rehabilitation, capacity building, and awareness generation. The scheme will encourage innovation, community involvement, and consolidate the presence of addiction prevention activities throughout the nation by rewarding outstanding work in these spheres.

FUNCTIONING

The scheme, which was recognized as an annual scheme, was rolled out initially but then it shifted to a biannual cycle in 2016. As time passed, the list and size of award categories increased to capture the wide array of actors in drug demand reduction. The scheme now acknowledges seven major categories wherein Cash prizes range from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh, accompanied by national recognition and certificates of merit. These are :

Best NGO/Institution (₹5,00,000) – Prevention/rehabilitation excellence
Best Psychiatric Hospital (₹3,00,000) – Medical treatment leadership
Best Professional (₹2,00,000) – Doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, counsellors
Best Non-Professional (₹2,00,000) – Community leaders, volunteers, activists, media persons, students
Best Panchayati Raj Institution/Urban Local Body (₹1,00,000) – Local governance enforcement
Best Research/Innovation Initiative (variable) – New models, cost-effective solutions
Best Awareness Campaign (variable) – Media, school, community outreach

The ceremony entails presentation of awards to the awardees in a function to be held in New Delhi on the 26th June of the year. These awards shall be presented by the President or the Prime Minister of India. The boarding and lodging expenses of the awardees, along with one companion each, shall be borne by the Central Government. This involves reimbursement/arrangement of- to and fro travelling expenses and accommodation for up to one day prior to and after the date of the Award Ceremony. Also, before the announcement of the Awards, the concurrence of the prospective awardees or institutions shall be suitably ascertained.

The eligibility criteria are that all Indian institutions, organisations, and individuals are equally allowed to take part(also nominated) in the awards regardless of their religion, race, sex, caste and creed. This, however, does not allow self-nominations and nominated persons must have been nominated in writing by an authoritative body. Also, past awardees cannot be reconsidered in the forthcoming three award cycles through the scheme.

The nominations that are eligible can be made by –

concerned Ministries or Departments of the Government of India (with the approval of the minister),
State Governments or Union Territory Administrations (with the approval of the Chief Minister or the Lt. Governor),
Regional Resource and Training Centres of drug de-addiction, by members of the National Consultative Committee of De-addiction and Rehabilitation (NCCDR)
by the recognised national bodies like FICCI, CII, and ASSOCHAM.
Introduction of nominations by other institutions is done by UGC, AICTE, MCI, NYKS, CBSE, NCERT, KVS, CSIR, universities and District Magistrates or Commissioners.

The scheme only considers nominations made via such recognised agencies and with sufficient grounds. They are to make nominations by March 31. Applications are initially evaluated by a Screening Committee under the chairmanship of a Joint Secretary, and finally awardees are finalized by a National Selection Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Ministry and which also includes representatives of the agencies, like the NCB, and academic experts, and where the awardees are usually announced during the International Day Against Drug Abuse on June 26.

PERFORMANCE

The Operational Excellence has been exceptional for this scheme. There has been a consistent timeline adherence ; every cycle (March 31- June 26) has been conducted. There has been zero corruption, provided the clear transaction of Rs 5cr. There has been a 78% Federal Inclusion as 28/36 entities(states+UTs) are a part of this scheme. Moreover, Presidential Prestige has been maintained in every Ceremony till now.

Chronological Milestones

IMPACT

As part of its implementation, the National Awards Scheme has been able to generate outcomes such as visibility, knowledge diffusion, and identification of effective practices over a decade, and within the Indian system of drug demand-reduction.

To start with, the operation of the scheme was associated with the drastic expansion of the infrastructure. There was an expansion of the institutional capability of the National Action Plan on Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) by increasing the number of Centres to over 700 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCA) as opposed to the 406 centres in 2013.

Second, the scheme has contributed to increased publicity and prevention activities. According to government reports, the number of drug-prevention campaigns expanded, which began with approximately 367 in 2013, up to an aggregate of over 1,000 campaigns every year, reaching more than 100,000 people on a yearly basis through school campaigns, community interventions, and media participation.

Third, professional and innovator recognition has helped in program innovations and human capital development. With the support of the government, the total of trained addiction counsellors increased to more than 100,000 by 2026, when the awards implemented models like community-based rehabilitation, mobile de-addiction services as well as relapse prevention programs.

Also, the Research and Innovation category has recognised several initiatives promoting community-based detoxification, mobile de-addiction services, and vocational rehabilitation programs. Some award-winning models introduced mobile treatment units and relapse prevention protocols, which have informed subsequent program guidelines within demand-reduction initiatives.

Lastly, the Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies awards have been introduced and therefore local governments have been strengthened and mobilized to engage in campaigns to prevent addiction and community mobilization, which has reinforced the contribution of the grassroots in the war against addiction in India.

EMERGING ISSUES

Regional Imbalance – There is a geographical concentration of award distribution, with states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat having a large proportion of award distribution, but the high-burden areas have been underrepresented. The MoSJE-AIIMS National Survey on Substance Use (2019) demonstrates that North-Eastern states have some of the highest opioid rates, and in Punjab, almost 15% of adult males in some districts report opioid use, which is not accompanied by the perceived seriousness of the crisis.
Biennial Gaps – The scheme was first established as an annual award in 2013, but changed to a bi-yearly cycle in 2016, lowering the rate of national recognition. Press Information Bureau releases a claim that this restricts its exposure as a recurring policy message.
Prevention Vs Treatment Imbalance-Recognition has largely focused on rehabilitation institutions, despite NAPDDR emphasizing prevention and awareness. This is significant given that the MoSJE-UNODC National Survey (2004) estimated 62.5 million alcohol users in India, indicating the scale of prevention needs.
Missing updation of Categories-The patterns of drug use have evolved dramatically; there has been an upsurge in synthetic opioid misuse, pharmaceutical abuse, and inhalants among adolescents. However, there are no digital prevention, youth leadership, or technology-based forms of addiction prevention in the award structure.
Data Gaps-Limited systematic analysis of the results of the implementation of award-winning initiatives facilitates a challenging way to estimate their role in reducing addiction or enhancing the results of rehabilitation. The information that is available is predominantly descriptive but not evidence-based.
Lack of a Monitoring System-According to government reports, the demand-reduction network of India has now 700+ Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCA) and thousands of trained counselors but there is no centralised system to monitor the long-term effectiveness of award-recognised interventions.
AI and new Dangers-According to the UNODC Global Drug Report, online networks, encrypted platforms, and darknet markets have increased their use in drug distribution. Nevertheless, the digital prevention, online awareness, and technology-enabled monitoring systems are innovations that the current award system does not acknowledge.

WAY FORWARD

The Annual Award Cycles, as in its inception, shall be restored to reflect policy visibility, along with timely recognition of innovations in drug demand reduction. The categories shall be expanded to be inclusive of youth leadership, digital prevention, community recovery, harm reduction, research innovation and reforms to widen grassroots participation. It shall develop a National Impact Monitoring System to track the outcomes of award-winning programs, including treatment reach and community impact.

Stronger coordination between national and state agencies would help scale effective interventions across regions. The state and local level nominations shall be incentivised. Integration of award-winning models with NAPDDR implementation. Thus, when redesigned as an innovation and knowledge accelerator, the National Awards Scheme can be further developed not as a symbolic recognition instrument, but rather as a platform that actively promotes scalable, evidence-based addiction prevention models throughout India.

REFERENCES

Gazette Notification of India. (2012). Scheme of national awards for outstanding services in the field of prevention of alcoholism and substance (drug) abuse. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/nationalaward-drugabuse.pdf

Government of India. (2013, June 25). The President confers first national awards for prevention of alcoholism & substance abuse [Press release]. Press Information Bureau. https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=96794

LegitQuest. (n.d.). Scheme of national awards for outstanding services in the field of prevention of alcoholism and substance (drug) abuse. https://www.legitquest.com/act/scheme-of-national-awards-for-outstanding-services-in-the-field-of-prevention-of-alcoholism-and-s

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (n.d.). National action plan for drug demand reduction (NAPDDR). https://socialjustice.gov.in/schemes/42

Mukherjee, P. (2014, June 26). Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the presentation of national awards for outstanding services in the field of prevention of alcoholism and substance (drugs) abuse. President of India. https://www.presidentofindia.gov.in/shri-pranab-mukherjee/speeches/speech-president-india-shri-pranab-mukherjee-presentation-national-2

MyScheme Portal. (2024). National awards: Best awareness campaign. Government of India. https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/naospasa-bac

Project Sarthi. (2026, February 21). National awards for outstanding services in the field of prevention of alcoholism and substance abuse (NAOSPASA-BAC). https://projectsarthi.com/schemes/naospasa-bac/

Ray, R. (2004). The extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in India: National survey. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, & United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/presentations/india_national_survey_2004.pdf

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime & Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (2004). Extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in India: National household survey. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC443486/

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Paridhi Jain is a third-year student pursuing BA. (hons) Philosophy at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She is passionate about public policy, research and academic writing.