NEW DELHI, MAY 29 (IANS): Reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to combating tobacco and nicotine addiction, Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Friday launched the pilot version of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) Application.
Launched during an event marking World No Tobacco Day 2026 under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the app aims to strengthen implementation and monitoring of tobacco-free norms across schools and colleges in the country.
Addressing the event, Srivastava said this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction”, is highly relevant in protecting young people and future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine use.
The ToFEI app has been designed to facilitate self-assessment, reporting and monitoring of compliance with tobacco-free guidelines by educational institutions. It will support enforcement of tobacco control signage requirements, prohibit the sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of schools and colleges, and promote awareness and sensitisation activities for students and teachers.
According to the Ministry, the digital platform will help states, Union Territories, educational institutions and programme officials through standardised monitoring, reporting and compliance assessment systems, thereby improving accountability and promoting healthier, tobacco-free environments for children and adolescents.
The pilot phase of the application will be implemented in Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Maharashtra to assess operational feasibility and strengthen reporting mechanisms before nationwide expansion.
The Ministry also released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for collection of tobacco product samples to improve surveillance, regulatory compliance and quality assurance related to tobacco products.
Saturday, May 30, 2026