To mark World No Tobacco Day 2025, the Ministry of Education organized a National Workshop in New Delhi to strengthen the implementation of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) guidelines. The event brought together officials from the Ministries of Education, Health, Home Affairs, CBSE, NCERT, UNODC, and civil society groups.
Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Sanjay Kumar, inaugurated the workshop and launched the Nationwide School Challenge on Tobacco Awareness on the MyGov platform, open for participation from June 10. He also administered a No-Tobacco Pledge, urging educators and communities to ensure tobacco-free school environments.
Kumar expressed concern over rising tobacco use among youth and called for schools to actively involve parents and local communities through School Management Committees (SMCs). He emphasized the link between tobacco use and substance abuse, stressing early intervention and awareness.
The workshop featured sessions on mental health (Manodarpan), school health programs, life skills education (Navchetna), and digital monitoring of ToFEI compliance. Experts and officials from CBSE, NCERT, and UNODC shared strategies to build student resilience and promote healthy lifestyles.
States and UTs like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and Chandigarh presented best practices, including dental screenings, comic-based awareness tools, and regional adaptations of ToFEI materials.
The workshop reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to creating safe, healthy, and tobacco-free learning spaces across the country.
