EP07 : NISD on Substance Abuse Prevention in India by Tripti Bisht

In conversation with Dr. Veerendra Mishra, Director, National Institute of Social Defence, NISD, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the episode discusses how NISD is engaging the youth for raising awareness against substance abuse or drug addiction in India. Dr. Mishra talks about how people can join NISD as volunteers to stop substance abuse and how schools can reach out to NISD for getting their staff trained in spreading awareness against drug addiction. Also, get your hands on a National Toll-Free Drug De-addiction Helpline Number at the end of the episode that anyone in addiction distress or wanting guidance can contact. Dr. Mishra, IPS, in a career spanning over two decades has been working towards making society sensitive to its surroundings. He is currently heading the National Institute of Social Defence (w.e.f. March 2019), where he has taken up the causes of drug use prevention, the welfare of senior citizens and transgenders, and beggary prevention.

As the Executive Director of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (July 2016- March 2019) and the Director of the National Service Scheme (May 2017- March 2019), he was involved in empowering the youth in becoming responsible citizens and an asset to the nation. He has served in two United Nations Missions and has had a pro-bono involvement in another UN Mission.

Dr. Mishra has also represented India in several conferences and workshops including a roundtable (online) by BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2020), the SAARC Regional Workshop in Nepal (2019), and a conference by the Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) and UNODC in Vienna, Austria (2019), among many others.