It is now established that India has a huge problem of substance use disorders (or addictions). Number of people who need help for harmful use or dependence on alcohol and other drugs run into crores, as shown in the recent report – Magnitude of Substance Use in India . Only a miniscule proportion of these are able to access treatment services indicating a wide treatment gap.

India is a signatory to (a) the three International Drug Conventions of United Nations, (b) the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (outcome document) as well as a host of other international instruments. Thus, Government of India is obliged to provide adequate coverage with treatment services to all the citizens affected by substance use disorders. Providing treatment to people affected by addiction is the mandate of two ministries of Government of India: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), which is the nodal ministry for drug demand reduction- and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW). So far, the MoH&FW has been providing treatment services through the Government Health care facilities (Central government / state governments), while the MoSJE has been providing these services through the civil society organizations / Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Under the Scheme of MoSJE, NGOs receive Grant-in-aid for running Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs). About 350-odd IRCAs are functional during the year 2019-20.

In order to further enhance the avenues for drug demand reduction in the country, MoSJE has launched an ambitious “National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).’ Among the many components of NAPDDR is one under which MoSJE envisages financial assistance to Government Health Care facilities for providing treatment services for substance use disorders. For this purpose, MoSJE has identified NDDTC, AIIMS as the National Coordination and Resource Institution for ATF .