NDDTC, AIIMS is the lead technical agency, chosen by the MoSJE, Govt. of India , and is responsible for conceptualization of the survey, planning the scientific aspects including methodology and technical coordination among all the collaborators at the National and Regional level. While NDDTC, AIIMS will take the lead in scientific and technical aspects of the survey and partner with other medical institutes of repute for this purpose, the operational and management responsibilities for data collection for the survey will be discharged by the agencies selected for this purpose.

NDDTC has multi-disciplinary faculty and staff (psychiatrists, pre-clinical scientists, biostatisticians, social scientists, research staff, nursing staff, laboratory personnel and administrative staff) to undertake the responsibilities assigned to the centre. Clinical care is provided through outpatient settings, inpatient settings and community clinics. Help is available for the treatment of disorders related to use of all types of psychoactive substances. Treatment is provided by a multi-disciplinary team of experienced professional combining both pharmacological (i.e. with medications) and non-pharmacological (i.e. psychological / social) approaches. The centre carries out the relevant haematological, biochemical laboratory tests to monitor health damage. Further, several drugs of abuse are screened simultaneously through analysis of patients' urine sample.

The centre has been involved in:

• Assessing magnitude of drug abuse in the country.
• Providing hospital and community based clinical care to patients through daily OPD, special clinics, wards and community clinics in underdeveloped areas of Delhi.
• Health education for prevention and early identification of drug abuse.
• Manpower development – training of several categories of staff.
• Establishment of laboratories to detect drugs of abuse in body fluids and health damage.
• Documentation and publication of resource material and creation of a database.
• Scientific research on various epidemiological, public health and clinical aspects of addictions.

The Centre provides clinical care to about 10000 new patients and about 50000 follow-up patients every year. In addition, the centre runs special clinics for Tobacco Use Cessation, Dual Diagnosis, Adolescents, Women and Behavioural Addictions.

Roles and Responsibilities of NDDTC, AIIMS as the National Technical Agency:

• Conceptualization of the survey and development of scientific protocol, survey questionnaire and record keeping and reporting mechanisms.
• Selection of strata in the states, districts within the strata and PSUs within the districts as per the statistical methodology outlined in project document.
• Selection of Households within a PSU after completion of mapping / listing.
• Engagement of other collaborating regional medical institutions.
• Receipt of funds from MoSJE and disbursement of funds to Regional Medical Institutions.
• Preparing criteria / TORs for selection of IRCAs by RRTCs, State-level Master Trainers (by Regional Medical Institutes) and Data Collection Staff (to be nominated by respective State Govt.).
• Development of resource materials for the survey (training agenda, presentations, handouts, pre-and post-training assessments, technical manuals for household and RDS surveys etc.).
• Development of operational manuals for HHS and RDS surveys.
• Working with the IT team and guiding the development of survey software.
• Conducting National Training of Trainers for all institutions and organizations involved in the survey.
• Facilitating Regional Training of Trainers for Master Trainers identified by States/UT Govt.
• Supervision and monitoring of other collaborating institutions engaged for technical and operational aspects of the survey.
• Leading conceptualization, development of scientific protocol, questionnaire, training, implementation and analysis of 4 of the 9 Focused Thematic Studies (FTS) and supervising implementation of the remaining 5 FTSs by collaborating regional medical institutions.
• Overseeing ethical aspects of the survey at National level including ethics clearance from AIIMS and facilitating clearance from IEC of partnering medical institutions.
• Analysis and interpretation of survey data.
• Preparation of draft and final report.
• Technical assistance to MoSJE in dissemination of survey findings and their incorporation into the National Drug Demand Reduction Strategy.
• Dissemination of survey findings in scientific and technical forums.