The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government-sponsored public service program conducted by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India popularly known as NSS. The scheme was launched in Gandhiji's Centenary year, 1969 aimed at developing student's personality through community service. NSS is a voluntary association of young people in Colleges, Universities and at +2 level working for a campus-community linkage. The cardinal principle of the NSS programme is that it is organised by the students themselves, and both students and teachers through their combined participation in community service, get a sense of involvement in the tasks of nation building.
After independence the University Grants Commission, headed by S. Radhakrishnan, recommended the introduction of voluntary national service in academic institutions. This idea was again considered by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) at its meeting in January, 1950; after examining the idea and the experiences of other countries in this field, the board recommended that students and teachers should devote time to voluntary manual work. In the draft first Five-Year Plan adopted by the government in 1952, the need for social and labour service by Indian students for one year was stressed. In 1958 Jawaharlal Nehru, in a letter to the chief ministers, considered the idea of social service as a prerequisite for graduation. He directed the Ministry of Education to formulate a suitable scheme for the introduction of national service into academic institutions.
In May 1969, a conference of student representatives (of universities and institutions of higher education) convened by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission also unanimously agreed that a national-service scheme could be an instrument for national integration. The details were soon worked out and the Planning Commission sanctioned an outlay of Rs. five crores for the NSS during the Fourth Five-Year Plan, stipulating that the NSS be a pilot project in select institutions and universities. On 24 September 1969, then-Union Education Minister V.K.R.V. Rao launched the NSS at 37 universities in all states. The scheme has been extended to all states and universities in the country, and also +2-level institutes in many states.
"NOT ME, BUT YOU" This reflects the essence of democratic living and upholds the need for selfless service and appreciation of the other person�s point of view and also to show consideration for fellow human beings. It underlines that the welfare of an individual is ultimately dependent on the welfare of society on the whole. Therefore, it should be the aim of the NSS to demonstrate this motto in its day-to-day programme.
The broad objectives of NSS are to:
"The symbol for the NSS has been based on the giant Rath Wheel of the world famous Konark Sun Temple (The Black Pagoda) situated in Orissa, India. The wheel portrays the cycle of creation, preservation and release and signifies the movement in life across time and space, the symbol thus stands for continuity as well as change and implies the continuous striving of NSS for social change.The eight bars in the wheel represent the 24 hours of a day. The red colour indicates that the volunteer is full of young blood that is lively, active, energetic and full of high spirit.
The navy blue colour indicates the cosmos of which the NSS is tiny part, ready to contribute its share for the welfare of the mankind."
"Onkarmal Somani College of Commerce, Jodhpur has an incredible history in its academic and co-curricular activities. Right from its inception it has been striving hard and rendering services to the society. There has been a tremendous response from the Volunteers and NSS Programme Officers during the past years.
Presently it is sanctioned 1 unit to enroll 100 NSS volunteers to serve society to overcome various problems & to create awareness regarding various current issues. To meet with the objectives volunteers conducted regular activities as well as special camp as per NSS calendar. NSS Volunteers, Programme Officers and Principal of the college also participated in Blood Donations Camps & Tree Plantation. Our NSS Volunteers had done a commendable service on HIV/AIDS Awareness programmes through conducting seminars, rallies, poster completions and skit play at the college level and districts. Our NSS Units have taken up regular activities such as orientation lectures to Volunteers, awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS, Pulse Polio, to stop Child Labour, Health Checkup, Hygiene and Sanitation, Child nutrition, Child marriages, Dowry system, and superstitions among the villages/slums.
Our programmes also aim to inculcate social welfare in students, and to provide service to society without bias. NSS volunteers work to ensure that everyone who is needy gets help to enhance their standard of living and lead a life of dignity. In doing so, volunteers learn from people in villages how to lead a good life despite a scarcity of resources. It also provides help in natural and man-made disasters by providing food, clothing and first aid to the disaster victims.
