On World No Tobacco Day 2026, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava launched the pilot Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) Application along with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tobacco product sample collection under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) at Kartavya Bhawan.
The ToFEI app aims to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of tobacco-free norms in schools and colleges through self-assessment, compliance tracking, signage monitoring, and enforcement of restrictions on tobacco sales within 100 yards of campuses. It will also support awareness activities among students and staff.
The pilot phase will be rolled out in Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Maharashtra before a nationwide expansion. The Ministry also released SOPs to standardise tobacco product sampling procedures, improving regulatory testing, enforcement and quality control.
Speaking on the occasion, the Health Secretary highlighted the growing risk of tobacco and nicotine addiction among youth due to aggressive marketing and called for stronger digital monitoring and enforcement systems. The initiatives align with India’s broader tobacco control strategy aimed at reducing non-communicable diseases and promoting tobacco-free environments, especially in educational institutions.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
