Social Crisis

Drug crisis, farmer distress, water emergency, and SC atrocities

Critical Issues

Drug Crisis - THE Defining Issue

6.6 Million Users, 75%+ Youth Affected

Total Drug Users

6.6 million

Opioid Dependent

230,000

Overdose Deaths 2024

106

NDPS Cases

8,973

Youth Affected

75%+ youth

Children Using Drugs

697,000

Relapse Rate

80-90%

BJP Promise: "Nasha Mukt Punjab in 2 years"

Congress must own this narrative - 106 overdose deaths in 2024 alone

Farmer Distress - Complete Data

From a16-punjab-social-issues-2026

Avg Debt per HouseholdRs 2.03 lakh

Debt Rank in India3rd highest in India (after Kerala, Andhra Pradesh)

Farming Families in Debt54%+

Total Farmer LoansRs 1.4 lakh crore

Farm Suicides 2023174

Last Loan Waiver2016

MSP Procured at Declared MSP<15%

Malwa Region Suicides80-90% of suicides in Malwa

RECENT CASE (March 23, 2026):

Two farmer brothers in Kotkapura died by suicide - debt doubled from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. Potato crop failure. Compensation: Rs 3 lakh.

Water Crisis - Groundwater Emergency

From a19-punjab-water-agriculture-crisis-2026, s1-cross-reference-validation

Blocks Over-Exploited115 of 153

Districts Critical70%+

Malwa Uranium Samples53% exceeding limits

Groundwater Extraction156% of recharge rate

Canal Irrigation5.3 million acres

SYL Canal StatusDeadlocked

SC Atrocity Cases - Rising Trend

From a16-punjab-social-issues-2026

Punjab Rank in India5th highest for atrocities against SCs

Cases 2019166

Cases 2015147

TrendRising

NCSC AlertMay 2025 - urgent corrective steps required

Scholarship Scam2023 vigilance probe delayed

Virtual CourtroomIndia's first dedicated SC virtual courtroom - operational Jan 2026

Youth Migration - Canada & Overseas

From a16-punjab-social-issues-2026, g22-nri-digital-outreach-mobilization-2026

Students to Canada (2022)136,000

% of All India to Canada60%

Total Borrowed (2021-23)Rs 14,342 crore (2021-23)

Assets Sold (2021-23)Rs 5,636 crore

Women OutmigrationMore women than men leaving Punjab for abroad (first time)

Village Studies (Landowning Households with IELTS/Members Abroad):

Anandpur: 27.6% | Faridkot: 9% | Tarn Taran: 16.2% | Dosanjh Kalan: ~40% (NRI village)

Punjab Fiscal Crisis - Economic Indicators

From a5-punjab-economic-indicators-2026, a16-punjab-social-issues-2026

NITI Aayog Fiscal Rank

LAST of 18

State Debt

Rs 4.17 lakh crore

Debt-to-GSDP

40-45%

Interest Payments (FY26-27)

Rs 28,755 crore (FY 2026-27)

Revenue on Debt Servicing~40%

GSDP Growth6.1% vs India 7.4%

Per Capita IncomeRs 2.36 lakh