Q11. In one of the districts of a frontier state, narcotics menace has been rampant. This has resulted in money laundering, mushrooming of poppy farming, arms smuggling and near stalling of education. The system is on the verge of collapse. The situation has been further worsened by unconfirmed reports that local politicians, as well as some senior police officers, are providing surreptitious patronage to the drug mafia. At that point of time a woman police officer, known for her skills in handling such situations is appointed as the superintendent of police to bring the situation to normalcy.
If you are the same police officer, identify the various dimensions of the crisis. Based on your understanding, suggest measures to deal with the crisis. (250 words) (20 marks)
Answer
Smuggling of narcotics drugs is a serious offence which invites prolonged imprisonment and even death sentence in India. However, due to high profitability, it attracts many criminals towards the trade. The illegal money is often used for arms smuggling and other criminal activities. Drug smuggling is often carried out with an active patronage of local police officers and politicians.
Drug trafficking has many dimensions. An addict can do any crime to get drugs. Prolonged drug use may cause permanent physical and emotional damage to its users. In many cases, users die prematurely from drug overdoses or other drug-associated illnesses. Some users are parents, whose deaths leave their children in the care of relatives or in foster care.
The following measures are suggested for dealing with the crisis.
• Enforce the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act strictly to prevent drug smuggling
• Arrest the people involved in the smuggling irrespective of their position and status
• Seize the properties of the kingpins and neutralize their economic power
• Increase public awareness against drug use and drug trafficking
• Take measures for the rehabilitation of the drug addicts through the support of government and NGOs
In addition, preventive measures like conducting lectures and discussions, exhibitions, essay writing and other forms of competition for students and in-service training for teachers may be taken. The youth may be encouraged to develop healthy lifestyle to lead a drug-free life. They must be motivated to focus on education through various community programmes. Government must also take steps to improve job opportunities for the youth so that they focus more on their career and shun the path of addiction. (269 words)