Caught in the middle: On India and curbing drug abuse
The article discusses India's vulnerability to drug trafficking due to its location between major drug-producing regions (Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle), with Myanmar emerging as a leading source. It highlights challenges in enforcement, such as the use of drones, darknet, and cryptocurrencies by traffickers, and issues with domestic production using diverted pharmaceutical ingredients. The piece critically examines India's response, noting the prevalence of physical abuse in private de-addiction centers, the urban-rural disparity in access to rehabilitation, social stigma, and gender-specific barriers to treatment. It emphasizes the need for a shift from focusing solely on seizures and arrests to a 'whole of society' approach that prioritizes rehabilitation and restoring lives, as exemplified by initiatives like Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
The article discusses India's vulnerability to drug trafficking due to its location between major drug-producing regions (Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle), with Myanmar emerging as a leading source. It highlights challenges in enforcement, such as the use of drones, darknet, and cryptocurrencies by traffickers, and issues with domestic production using diverted pharmaceutical ingredients. The piece critically examines India's response, noting the prevalence of physical abuse in private de-addiction centers, the urban-rural disparity in access to rehabilitation, social stigma, and gender-specific barriers to treatment. It emphasizes the need for a shift from focusing solely on seizures and arrests to a 'whole of society' approach that prioritizes rehabilitation and restoring lives, as exemplified by initiatives like Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
Exam linkage
GS Paper 2: Social Justice (Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections, issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Human Resources). GS Paper 3: Internal Security (Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention; Linkages between development and spread of extremism).
Syllabus mapping
This topic appears in Mains
Questions on Social Justice & Development come up regularly in GS papers. Practice writing an answer — and see exactly what earns marks.