A “Drug-Free Superhero Selfie Contest” is being organized in and around Vijayawada colleges, including Eluru. On June 26th, in observance of Anti-Drug Abuse Day, NICC planned a weeklong campaign in colleges and public spaces with an innovative selfie contest. In this contest, students are required to take a selfie in a designated space on a specially set-up board. They then scan the QR code on the board, enter their details in the form that appears, and click the submit button.
To encourage participation, a lucky dip prize worth ₹5000 was announced, adding excitement to the International Anti-Drug Awareness Week activities. The goal is to raise awareness among the youth about living addiction-free lives. Students are encouraged to take selfies that portray them as “Superheroes,” standing against the influence of drugs. A ₹5000 cash prize was awarded to the lucky winner, motivating students to actively participate. This contest aims to promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle among students.
NICC staff approached various colleges, explained the purpose and structure of the contest, and gained permission from the principals, with support from the NSS coordinators. They also identified suitable locations on campus to place the selfie boards, making it convenient for students to participate. Navajeevan Bala Bhavan’s electric auto was used to transport the selfie boards from NICC to the colleges and back.
The campaign ran from June 24th to June 30th, 2024. During this time, 30 colleges and public places were covered, and a total of 4,127 participants, including 1,656 males and 2,471 females, took part in the contest.
The lucky winner of the contest was announced on October 25, 2024. During the extraordinary visitation of, the Regional Councilor for South Asia, Fr. Biju Michael, and lucky draw was conducted. The names of all participants were placed in a box, and Fr. Biju picked the winner. The lucky winner was Vemula Prakash from Sarada College, Gandhi Nagar, Vijayawada.