Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 100-week “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat” campaign on August 2, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has invited comments on a draft model curriculum for a course on “Substance Abuse: Prevention and Management” for undergraduate and postgraduate students “across all disciplines”.
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The proposed two-credit, 30-hour course combines theory with practical activities focused on sensitisation, awareness and community engagement against substance abuse. In a notice issued on August 11, UGC secretary Shyama Rath sought comments from stakeholders within 15 days.
The draft curriculum seeks to “promote healthy lifestyles, mental well-being, life skills, and responsible citizenship” in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
It aims to help students understand the “neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms underlying addiction”, associated risk factors and mental-health vulnerabilities.
Students will also learn to use validated screening tools to identify possible substance or alcohol use problems and about Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), clinical management, counselling, relapse prevention, rehabilitation and recovery support.
The draft also requires students to undertake at least five activities, including rehabilitation-centre visits, expert talks, NGO interactions, social-media campaigns, ideathons and survey-based studies.
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It is not immediately clear whether the UGC will make the course compulsory for all UG and PG students. The commission did not respond to queries from HT.
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It is not immediately clear whether the UGC will make the course compulsory for all UG and PG students. The commission did not respond to queries from HT.
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The UGC notice says the course “may also be introduced as part of course offerings” in higher education institutions. The draft curriculum says the proposed credits and their distribution are “suggestive” and that “the HEIs may decide on course credits and distribution over semesters”.
Sanjay Maurya is a Principal Correspondent with Hindustan Times, where he covers education, with a focus on school and higher education, competitive examinations, education policy and governance. Working as part of the National Bureau, he is based in New Delhi and reports on the Ministry of Education and covers various statutory bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and autonomous bodies like CBSE and NCERT. His reporting also tracks the implementation of key government reforms and policies from school education to higher education including in IITs, NITs, IIMs, central and state universities, and their impact on students and educational institutions. His reporting on the irregularities and rushed implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluation of Class 12 board exams 2026, triggered administrative action, leading to the transfer of the board's two senior-most officials and the constitution of a committee to probe alleged irregularities in procurement process of the system. He joined Hindustan Times in December 2024. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint at Careers360, where he reported on school and higher education, entrance examinations, admissions, rankings and various education policies involving universities and professional education bodies. Over the years, Maurya has reported extensively on major developments in India's education sector, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, changes in school education, higher education regulation, and the evolution of entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET. He regularly produces data-driven and explanatory stories based on government documents, parliamentary proceedings, court records and official data. His focus remains on helping readers understand how education policies and institutional decisions affect millions of students, teachers and educational institutions across the country.
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