Supply-side enforcement must be matched by demand reduction. Critically assess India's twin approach to drug control.

India controls drugs in two ways. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) enforces the NDPS Act, 1985 against supply. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment runs the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) to reduce demand [2]. The approach is well designed, but the two arms rarely work together.

Supply-side enforcement: strengths

• Going after the money: Operation Trident (October 2026) raided 38 sites in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. It traced about ₹100 crore in hawala transactions and froze 1,424 bank accounts [1].
• Multi-agency coordination: the NCB worked with the ED and three State police forces [1]. Since 2020 the NIA has had powers under the NDPS Act to investigate narco-terror cases [3].
• Security link recognised: 500 detonators were seized along with drug cash. This shows a link between drugs and armed groups in border areas [1].

Supply-side enforcement: limitations

• Tracing money is not proving it: only ₹17.82 crore in assets was attached out of ₹100 crore traced. There were 18 arrests against 1,424 frozen accounts, which points to mule accounts, not the kingpins [1].
• Collateral harm: freezing accounts in bulk in border economies and in conflict-hit Churachandpur can turn local communities against the agencies. These raids depend on their information.
• Overlapping mandates: when a drug agency leads a case involving explosives, evidence may end up split between agencies.

Demand reduction: strengths

• NMBA began on 15 August 2020 in 272 vulnerable districts and now covers all districts [2]. It has reached over 25 crore people [4].
• The NCB's MANAS helpline is being set up [2]. It can connect people seeking treatment and also collect tip-offs about dealers.

Demand reduction: limitations

• Reach is not the same as results: NMBA counts how many people it made aware, not how many stopped using drugs.
• Ministries work separately: enforcement sits with the Home Ministry and treatment with MoSJE. Districts where raids find networks are not matched with more de-addiction capacity there.
• Cutting supply without treatment only raises prices or pushes users to other drugs.

The twin approach is right in principle, but the two arms run on parallel tracks. The way forward:

• joint district plans that match NCB hotspots with NMBA treatment centres
• quick sorting of frozen accounts into kingpins, knowing mules and unknowing holders
• PMLA confiscations that end in convictions
• NMBA targets based on outcomes, not reach

Together these would advance SDG target 3.5 on preventing and treating substance abuse.