Ministry of Education Holds National Workshop to Promote Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions on World No Tobacco Day 2025

The Ministry of Education, led by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), organized a National Workshop to raise awareness and strengthen the implementation of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) guidelines on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day (May 31, 2025). The event, held at Rang Bhawan, Akashvani Bhawan, New Delhi, brought together officials from Ministries of Education, Health & Family Welfare, Home Affairs, civil society organizations, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), NCERT, CBSE, and students to discuss strategies to curb tobacco use among youth.

Inaugurating the workshop, Shri Sanjay Kumar launched the Nationwide School Challenge on Tobacco Awareness via the MyGov platform, inviting students across India to participate from June 10, 2025. Emphasizing collective responsibility, he administered the No-Tobacco Pledge to all participants, urging educators, parents, and communities to foster tobacco-free environments in schools.

Shri Kumar expressed grave concern over tobacco use among youth and highlighted the aggressive marketing tactics by the tobacco industry targeting adolescents. He called for unified efforts to eliminate tobacco use, pointing out that tobacco consumption often leads to further substance abuse, and encouraged schools to actively involve School Management Committees in awareness campaigns.

Shri Anandrao V. Patil, Additional Secretary, DoSEL, stressed the harmful effects of tobacco on young children’s health and called for heightened awareness to prioritize student well-being and nutrition within education frameworks.

Smt. A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSEL, underlined the importance of multi-sector collaboration to effectively implement ToFEI guidelines, ensuring safe, healthy educational spaces.

Shri Rahul Singh, Chairperson, CBSE, highlighted CBSE’s initiatives such as health and wellness modules, capacity building for school staff, and sustained awareness drives aimed at empowering students to make healthy choices.

A video presentation showcased the journey and impact of ToFEI, reflecting the Ministry’s and States’ efforts to institutionalize tobacco-free educational spaces.

The workshop’s technical sessions covered a range of topics: mental health interventions under the Manodarpan initiative, integration of the School Health Programme (SHP) into curricula, CBSE’s health literacy efforts, digital monitoring tools for ToFEI and National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) compliance, life skills education via the Navchetna module, global youth resilience practices, and holistic wellness approaches incorporating nutrition and life skills.

States and UTs such as Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu shared success stories, including innovative student engagement through comic books, animated videos, parent-teacher meetings, and regional language adaptations of the ToFEI manual.

Concluding the event, Shri Ram Singh, Deputy Director, DoSEL, encouraged sustained awareness, inter-sector collaboration, and active monitoring to ensure that every school becomes a supportive, health-promoting environment free from tobacco.

The workshop reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to creating tobacco-free educational institutions and empowering the youth to lead healthier lives.