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Punjab to train 21,850 teachers across 12 districts on drug abuse, student mental health
Punjab aims to equip over 21,850 teachers across 12 districts with vital skills to tackle mental health concerns and drug abuse among students.
The Punjab government will train more than 21,850 teachers across 12 districts to help them identify early signs of mental health concerns and vulnerability to drug abuse among school students, the state government said in a press release on Tuesday.
The training programme is being conducted under the government’s anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. The one-day awareness-cum-capacity-building sessions will be held in more than 500 batches in a phased manner from August 2026.
The programme began last week in Fazilka and Tarn Taran, where more than 800 teachers participated in workshops, according to the press release. The training will subsequently cover Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot, Mohali, Ropar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana and Patiala.
Focus on early identification
The government said the training will equip teachers with practical skills to identify early signs of mental health concerns and drug abuse among students and enable timely intervention.
The initiative follows a training programme conducted in January for principals and headmasters of senior secondary and high schools across nine districts, with a focus on border districts considered vulnerable to substance use. A pilot teacher training programme in Amritsar also saw more than 2,800 teachers participate, with over 75% of participants reporting that they felt motivated to contribute to a healthier school environment, the press release said.
The government said teachers are often among the first to notice changes in a student’s behaviour, attendance or emotional state. The training will focus on responding to students with sensitivity rather than treating signs of distress solely as disciplinary issues.
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the programme would help teachers recognise early signs of distress and drug vulnerability, encourage healthier ways of dealing with stress and connect students requiring help with appropriate support.
500-plus training batches planned
The programme is being implemented by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in coordination with the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development. The Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit (DITSU) will support implementation, develop training material and oversee quality assurance.
District-level nodal officers have been appointed to facilitate participation by teachers from senior secondary and high schools. The sessions are being conducted with the support of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.
The training will address substance use from psychological and social perspectives. Teachers will also take a pledge to act as a barrier between students and drugs and conduct activities with students following the training.
The government said the programme’s reach and effectiveness will be assessed through participant feedback and a structured monitoring framework.
