(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Central Government shall take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of preventing and combating abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and the illicit traffic therein.
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (1), the measures which the Central Government may take under that sub-section include measures with respect to all or any of the following matters, namely:—
(a) coordination of actions by various officers, State Governments and other authorities;
(b) implementation of the obligations under the International Conventions;
(c) assistance to the concerned authorities in foreign countries and concerned international organisations;
(d) identification, treatment, education, after care, rehabilitation and social re-integration of addicts;
(e) such other matters as the Central Government deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of securing the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act and preventing and combating the abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and illicit traffic therein.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 4
Section 4 of the NDPS Act imposes a statutory duty upon the Central Government to take all comprehensive executive, regulatory, and preventive measures for preventing and combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking, including inter-agency coordination, international treaty execution, and establishing specialized central enforcement authorities.
When defending against complaints instituted by central agencies like NCB or DRI, scrutinize whether the investigating officers were properly empowered under Section 4(3) notifications. Examine inter-agency transfer logs where local police handed over contraband to NCB to detect unrecorded gaps in the custody of seized samples.