From past few days, we are listening to the drug issues in Hyderabad. Not only celebrities but alos some college students were habituated. Due to the involvement of some college students busted drug racket has jolted the higher education department and universities who have now decided to take the issue seriously. After anti-ragging committees, the higher educational institutions will now have anti-drug committees. The colleges should have anti-drug campaign in the form of posters and skits.

The Telangana State Council for Higher Education (TSCHE) called a meeting of the Vice Chancellors of Osmania University (OU) and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTU-H) and discussed the ways and means to tackle the issue. They have decided to establish the counselling centers for the students who got used to the drugs.

T Papi Reddy, the Chairman of TSCHE said that “The college managements should also have coordination with managements of private hostels as most students stay there. Whenever a student behaves abnormal, he/she should be immediately counseled. The onus is on them to make aware the students about the consequences of taking drugs. Parents should also frequently check their ward’s college bag.”

N Goutham Rao, President, Telangana Private Engineering and Professional Colleges Management Association said that “We will focus on creating awareness on social issues like drugs issue during the orientation besides constituting anti-drug committees.”

“The counseling centers will also be established to help students. According to the University Grants Commission regulations, all the higher education institutions should have a mentoring system” he added.

“If students are mentored and counseled by teachers on regular basis, the drug menace can be easily dealt,” said a senior professor of Osmania University.

Among other measures, colleges were asked to educate students about ill effects of taking drugs through series of lectures. This year, the orientation classes for newly joined engineering students and their parents would mainly focus on creating awareness on the implications of consuming drugs. Accordingly, four days have been catered for the orientation program starting from July 20 and the actual class work would begin on July 24.