National Service Scheme

National Service Scheme (NSS)

About National Service Scheme (NSS)

The National Service Scheme (NSS) is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It provides opportunity to the student youth of 11th & 12th Class of schools at +2 Board level and student youth of Technical Institution, Graduate & Post Graduate at colleges and University level of India to take part in various Government led community service activities & programmes. The primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. ‘Education through Service’ is the purpose of the NSS. NSS was launched in 1969 in 37 Universities involving about 40,000 volunteers which has now spread over 657 Universities and 51 +2 Councils/Directorates, covering 20,669 Colleges/ Technical Institutions and 11,988 Senior Secondary School. Since inception , over 7.4 crore students have benefitted from NSS.

The NSS Badge Proud to Serve the Nation:

All the youth volunteers who opt to serve the nation through the NSS led community service wear the NSS badge with pride and a sense of responsibility towards helping needy.

The Konark wheel in the NSS badge having 8 bars signifies the 24 hours of a the day, reminding the wearer to be ready for the service of the nation round the clock i.e. for 24 hours.

Red colour in the badge signifies energy and spirit displayed by the NSS volunteers.

The Blue colour signifies the cosmos of which the NSS is a tiny part, ready to contribute its share for the welfare of the mankind.

Motto:

The motto of National Service Scheme is NOT ME BUT YOU

Benefits of Being a NSS Volunteer:

A NSS volunteer who takes part in the community service programme would either be a college level or a senior secondary level student. Being an active member these student volunteers would have the exposure and experience to be the following:

• an accomplished social leader

• an efficient administrator

• a person who understands human nature

Major Activities:

National Integration Camp (NIC):

The National Integration Camp (NIC) is organized every year and the duration of each camp is of 7 days with day-night boarding & lodging. These camps are held in different parts of the country. Each camp involves 200 NSS volunteers to undertake the scheduled activities.

Objectives of the National Integration Camp

Make the NSS volunteers aware of the following:

• Rich cultural diversity of India

• History of our diversified culture

• National pride through knowledge about India

• To integrate the nation through social service

Adventure Program:

The camps are held every year which are attended by approximately 1500 NSS volunteers with at least 50% of the volunteers being girl students. These camps are conducted in Himalayan Region in the North and Arunachal Pradesh in North East region. The adventure activities undertaken in these camps includes trekking of mountains, water rafting, Para-sailing and basic skiing.

Objectives of Adventure Program

• Promote various adventure activities among NSS volunteers

• Infuse the sense of love towards the various regions of India

• Enhance leadership qualities, fraternity, team spirit and risk taking capacity.

• Improvement of physical and mental strength

• Exposure to new vocational possibilities

NSS Republic Day Parade Camp:

The first Republic Day Camp of NSS Volunteers was held in 1988. The camp takes place in Delhi between 1st and 31st January every year with 200 NSS selected volunteers who are good in discipline, March-past and cultural activities.
A Contingent of selected NSS volunteers participates in the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath, New Delhi on 26th of January every year in accordance with the guidelines and requisition of the Ministry of Defence.

Objectives of NSS Republic Day Parade Camp

• Enable the volunteers to interact with fellow members hailing from various parts of India.

• Experience the tradition, custom, culture, language of all states of India.

• Provide a chance to develop overall personality of the Student volunteers.

• Constitute the bond of patriotism, national integration, brotherhood and communal harmony.

National Youth Festivals

National Youth Festivals are organized every year from 12th to 16th January by the Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in collaboration with the State Governments in different parts of the country. Eminent guests, speakers and youth icons are invited to address and interact with about 1500 participating NSS volunteers during the National Youth Festivals.

Objectives of National Youth Festivals

• Make the volunteers aware of the various festivals celebrated in the country

• Remind the volunteers of the cultural importance of festivals celebrated in our country

• Provide a chance to the NSS volunteers to interact with the resource person/speaker/youth icons

National Service Scheme Award

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India had instituted the National Service Scheme Awards to recognize the voluntary service rendered by NSS volunteers, Programme Officers, N.S.S. units and the university/senior secondary council.

Objectives of National Service Scheme Award

• To recognize outstanding contribution by NSS student volunteers, NSS Programme Officers and the Programme Coordinators in community service

• To encourage young NSS student volunteers to develop their personality through community service.

• To encourage the Programme Officers and the Programme Coordinators of NSS for catering the needs of National Service Scheme through the NSS volunteers.

• To motivate NSS Volunteers for continuing their selfless service towards community work.

The main objectives of National Service Scheme (NSS) are :

i. understand the community in which they work
ii. understand themselves in relation to their community
iii. identify the needs and problems of the community and involve them in problem-solving
iv. develop among themselves a sense of social and civic responsibility
v. utilise their knowledge in finding practical solutions to individual and community problems
vi. develop competence required for group-living and sharing of responsibilities
vii. gain skills in mobilising community participation
viii. acquire leadership qualities and democratic attitudes
ix. develop capacity to meet emergencies and natural disasters and
x. practice national integration and social harmony

NSS RD Parade Camp

Government of India, the then Ministry of Human Resource Development conducted the first Republic Day Camp of NSS Volunteers in 1988 at New Delhi. Now the NSS is being run by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. Right from the beginning, these Republic Day Parade Camps have been proved a boon for the personality development of NSS Volunteers of the country. The volunteers are imparted training in leadership development and (March-Past) parade apart from organising various socio-cultural programmes. As the participants from all states & UTs participate in this camp, the NSS R.D.Camp replicates a MINI INDIA to the nation’s capital from 1st-31st January every year. It provides ample opportunities to the NSS volunteers not only to interact among themselves but also to learn and know the tradition, custom, culture, language of one state to another. These volunteers, after a month long stay together in the camp, become capable to present themselves in the more better way and constitute a bond of patriotism, national integration, brotherhood, communal harmony which is the ultimate goal of the camp.

The day in R.D. Camp begins in early morning from 6 AM and extends upto 10 PM. In includes Morning Assembly, Shramdan, Yoga, Physical Training, Community Singing, Parade Practice, Lectures, Discussions, Quiz, Debate and evening Cultural programmes. The camp is managed entirely by the NSS Officials, student volunteers and contingent leaders. The participation in Republic Day Parade on 26th January is considered as a matter of great pride for the student youth.  It is also treated as a recognition of the selfless community service rendered by the NSS volunteers throughout the country.

Opportunities to meet Role Models of National/International Repute

During the camp the participating NSS volunteers are provided opportunities to meet many eminent personalities of different fields. The camp organisers invite the eminent personalities to boost the morale of NSS volunteers and the volunteers interact with them. It also helps the volunteers to broaden their knowledge base. To name a few, the Hon’ble President of India, Hon’ble Vice President of India, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and other Eminent Personalities in the field of Education, Health, Social Service, Science & Technology, Sports, Environment, Fine Arts, Art & Culture, have addressed the volunteers. NSS Volunteers’ contingent of each State get an opportunity to show their rich cultural, performing art, heritage during the cultural programmes every evening in the R.D. Camp. This helps the other participants to understand and appreciate the richness and fauna & flora diversity of the country.

In order to understand the folk art, dance, culture a cultural evening is organised every day in such a way that each and every participating volunteer gets a chance to exhibit his talent and cultural background.

Academic Sessions

Every day a two hour long academic session is convened in the R.D. Camp. This session comprises of one hour lecture by some eminent personalities of some specific field of national/international interest followed by one

hour interaction with the volunteers. Extempore Speech on various issues of social and national interest are the integral part of the academic session.

Output

It has been proved that the month long Republic Day Parade Camp changes the overall personality of the participating volunteers. Lots of exposure and experience gained during the camp and valuable guidance of many eminent personalities of different field helps  student volunteers to take a right decision in their career. By attending the R.D. Camp the volunteers become capable of adopting a good life style like they learn group living, attain leadership quality, improve communication skills, come forward to undertake any responsibilities and fulfil them. They become capable of adopting to set their vision and mission in their life lying ahead and on the other hand this R.D. Camp inculcates a sense and spirit of patriotism, national integration, solidarity, brotherhood, communal harmony among the student volunteers which is very much essential for the betterment of the nation. The NSS Republic Day Parade Camp provides ample opportunities to the student volunteers for their integrated personality development.

The NSS R.D. Camps have created many eminent personalities in the country in the field of education, health, art & culture, cinema, politics besides IAS, IPS, IFS. Today these personalities are role models for the youth of the country and gained national recognition.

The NSS Republic Day Parade Camp has become famous, favourite and of most attraction among the NSS volunteers and the youth community in the country. Personality of a student youth who has ever attended NSS R.D. Camp distinguishes himself/herself from the general mass.

The contingent for NSS RD Republic Day Parade is selected from the five Pre Republic Day Parade Camps that are organised at Zonal level by the Regional Directorates of NSS on rotation basis. 200 NSS volunteers participate in each zonal level Pre-R.D camps of 10 days' duration. In these camps the volunteers are imparted training of parade(March-past) and other youth development programmes. Then a central selection Committee comprising of nominated members of the Directorate of NSS visit the five zonal level camps to select the NSS contingent out of the 1000 participating volunteers. Two categories of volunteers mainly with Parade and Cultural activities and preferable with knowledge & work of NSS activities are selected to take part in the one month long Republic Day Parade Camp. Besides that, the following basic qualities are required for selection of NSS Volunteers for Pre- Republic Day Parade Cam and the NSS Republic Day Parade Camp:

NSS

• Should be a regular student and bonafide NSS Volunteersof any NSS Unit at College level

• Should have attended the orientation programme of NSS

• Should have participated in at least one Special camp

• Culturally Sound

• Capable of team building & leadership

• Capable to cope up with the camping atmosphere

• Physically fit

• Capable to undergo a rigorous physical & drill training

• Well disciplined

• Height for male volunteers between 166 cms to 175 cms & for female volunteers 155 cms to 166 cms

• The volunteers should be unmarried