New Delhi: Educationists, policymakers and healthcare experts on Thursday called for mandatory inclusion of awareness on emerging nicotine devices in school curricula and stricter enforcement of existing laws, warning that gaps in implementation are leaving children vulnerable to addiction.
At a seminar organised by Mothers Against Vaping (MAV), speakers stressed that while India has a strong values-based education framework, its limited on-ground execution and lack of alignment with new-age challenges such as vaping are undermining efforts to safeguard children.
The seminar was held under the theme ‘Educating for Values, Protecting Our Children: Keeping Novel Nicotine Products Away from Children’.
The MAV is a united front of women opposing the promotion of new-age nicotine devices (vapes, e-cigarettes) to Indian youth.
The speakers highlighted that products such as e-cigarettes are deliberately designed to attract youth through sleek, gadget-like appearances, flavoured variants and aggressive social media promotion, which often creates a misleading perception of reduced harm.
Experts noted that despite the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 banning their production, sale and advertisement, such products continue to reach school-going children through informal channels.
They identified unchecked supply as the key challenge and said value-based education alone would not suffice without strict enforcement, with no dilution even on medical grounds.
Calling for a coordinated response, Ram Singh, Joint Director in the Ministry of Education, said multiple agencies must work together to shape children’s behaviour.
“The earlier thinking was that children and how they shape up is only the responsibility of the schools; however, we have come to the conclusion that enforcement agencies are equally responsible,” he said, adding that education, health and enforcement systems must act collectively.
He said a three-year “Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya” action plan is being rolled out under the broader anti-drug initiative, with coordination between agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau, state police and health departments to strengthen ground-level enforcement. In this regard, the government has written to all the DGPs, he added.
Sushma Yadav, Chairperson, UGC Steering Committee, Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF), flagged the lack of awareness among educators and policymakers about new-age nicotine products, saying existing frameworks do not fully address the current reality.
“This is not merely a medical, legal or administrative concern; it is a concern for all of us,” she said, adding that if children are growing up consuming harmful substances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat can not be realised.
She emphasised that while institutions such as UGC, through it’s LOCF, and NCERT are working to embed values in curricula, behavioural change among educators and administrators is equally important.
“Values are not just taught; they are absorbed by children from everything they witness around them,” she said, underlining the need for role modelling by institutional leaders.
Educationist Taruna Kapoor said the definition of quality education is evolving and cannot be limited to academic performance alone.
“In today’s context, academic achievement alone cannot be the sole indicator of institutional success,” she said, stressing the need to integrate emotional, physical and social well-being into mainstream education.
Brinda Ghosh, director of staff training at the Gyanshree School, highlighted the role of teachers in early identification of behavioural changes among students, noting that with proper training and institutional support, they can play a key role in intervention.
“Teachers are often the first point of contact for students and are uniquely positioned to observe changes in behaviour, engagement and overall well-being. With the right training and institutional support, they can play a transformative role in early identification and intervention.
“However, this requires a systemic shift in how schools equip and empower their staff,” she noted.
From the healthcare perspective, Dr Rajesh Gupta, director of Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Interventional Pulmonology at Yashoda Medicity, Indirapuram, called for a shift from reactive to preventive approaches in student health.
Noting that schools offer a structured environment for awareness, early screening and timely medical guidance, he said, “This not only improves immediate health outcomes but also contributes to building a more health-conscious generation over the long term.”
The seminar concluded with a call for a ‘National Action Plan for Guardians of Values’, as speakers asserted that protecting children from addiction requires consistency between education, enforcement and societal behaviour, and urged urgent, collective action to address the growing challenge.
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