India's greatest strength lies in its young population: Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant General

Srinagar: India's greatest strength lies in its young population, with nearly 65 per cent of the population below the age of 35, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Sunday as he urged the youth to work towards nation building.

Addressing a UT-level function for the launch of the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan', Sinha said that 37 crore youth in the age group of 15 to 29 years are eager to contribute to nation building.

The 100-week mega campaign was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a nationwide resolve to secure India's future by empowering its youth and eliminating the menace of drugs.


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"India's greatest strength lies in its young population, with nearly 65 per cent below the age of 35. Nearly 37 crore youth in the 15- 29 age group are eager to contribute to nation building," Sinha said.

He said the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan' seeks to energise this demographic, guiding them towards healthy lifestyles and active participation in development.

"Our youth must emerge like a cloud of energy and spread across the horizon of development," he added.

The Lieutenant Governor said that the campaign, launched in 2020 by the prime minister, is not merely a government programme but a social movement against drug menace.

Sinha said that more than one crore youth joined the campaign at nearly 10,000 locations nationwide, reflecting the collective responsibility of society to protect young people from drugs.

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He also highlighted the significant achievements of the Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir campaign.

"Around 2,300 FIRs have been registered, 2,600 people arrested, and 1,500 kilograms of narcotics seized. More than 331 properties worth around Rs 200 crore belonging to narco-terrorists and drug smugglers have been attached," he added.

Additionally, over 370 driving licenses and 750 vehicle registrations have been cancelled, with recommendations made to cancel nearly 3,000 Aadhaar cards, he said.