Kolkata: Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) has declared all three of its campuses as tobacco-free zones following a notice issued by the university administration.The university issued an order on Friday designating its Salt Lake campus—which houses the directorate of distance education—as a ‘No Smoking’ zone. Interim vice-chancellor Sandip Chakraborty stated that the university’s other two campuses, at BT Road and Jorasanko, have also been declared tobacco-free.The VC said, “This initiative is part of the central government’s drive to turn academic institutions into tobacco-free zones. Higher education institutions must remain strictly smoke-free, and this formal notice serves as a reminder to everyone on campus.”The notification issued by the deputy registrar of distance and online education stated that smoking is strictly prohibited on campus with immediate effect.The move is part of a nationwide campaign by the ministry of health and family welfare and the ministry of education under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, aligning with the 2026–2029 three-year action plan to build safe and substance-free educational environments.
