No Place for Drugs: Telangana Mandates Campus Safety Panels!

The Telangana government has made Anti-Drug Committees mandatory in schools, colleges and universities across the state.

The Telangana government is rolling out a strict Government Order mandating every school, college, and university across the state to set up a dedicated Anti-Drug Committee.

Driven by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and police leadership, the move shifts the burden directly onto college management to keep their campuses clean. Under the new rules, institutions must establish a five-member team, including faculty, students, hostellers, and parents, alongside an appointed Campus Safety Coordinator to monitor drug activity, counsel at-risk students, and coordinate with law enforcement.

To ensure compliance, the state has warned that colleges turning a blind eye to save their reputation could face severe penalties, including the cancellation of their official recognition.

While this closes a major loophole, since colleges rarely reported drug instances in the past out of fear of bad publicity, it creates a tricky situation on the ground.

Turning professors into surveillance officers could damage the trust between students and educators, and forcing high-fee private colleges to self-report might lead to cover-ups if anonymous reporting channels aren’t handled carefully.

For this initiative to actually work, the state needs to back up its strict orders with confidential tip-off systems and real rehabilitation support, making sure these campus committees act as genuine safety shields rather than just endless paperwork.