National Service Scheme

Guru Kashi University

At Guru Kashi University, NSS inspires students to develop leadership, compassion, and civic responsibility through impactful community engagement activities.

A Brief History of National Service
Scheme (NSS)

In the Birth Bicentenary year of Gandhiji, 1969, NSS was started in the 37 Universities involving 40,000 students with a thrust on personality development of the students through community service. The University Grants Commission led by S. Radhakrishnan, after independence has suggested the concept 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. The board after considering the concept and the experiences of other countries in this line decided that students and teachers should put some time into voluntary manual labour. The necessity of social and labour service by the Indian students for one year was emphasized in the draft first Five-Year Plan approved by the government in 1952. Jawaharlal Nehru, in a letter to the chief ministers in 1958, had viewed 'social service' as a pre-requisite for graduation. He told the Ministry of Education to draft a proper scheme for implementation of national service in educational institutions.

Drafting of Scheme

A draft outline of this scheme was presented to a meeting of state education ministers in 1959. A workable scheme for national service was agreed as an urgent need by the conference and a committee was proposed to be appointed to work out the details of the proposed pilot project. On 28th August 1959, the National Service Committee was established under the Chairmanship of C.D. Deshmukh, to make definite recommendations in this direction. The committee made a recommendation for national service for nine months to one year, but this was not accepted as would be more expensive and difficult to implement. The government had appointed K.G. Saiyidain in 1960 to look into the implementation of national service among students in other countries. He presented his report, 'National Service for the Youth' to the government which contained recommendations for the development of a workable scheme of social service for the Indian students.

INITIATION

Subsequently, the Education Commission (with D.S. Kothari as chairperson 1964-66) suggested that every student should be linked with some activity of social service at all levels of his/her education. The state education ministers at their conference held in April 1967, took note of this and it was suggested that the university students, who were already part of the National Cadet Corps on a voluntary basis could either join the NCC or join the new National Service Scheme. However, promising athletes should be exempted from both as well as be able to enter another scheme: the National Sports Organization (NSO). The September 1969 Vice Chancellors’ Conference welcomed this recommendation, and suggested that a special committee of vice-chancellors could examine the question in detail. It was said that work experience and national service should be part of education in a national policy statement on education issued by the government.

LAUNCH OF NSS

The Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission also had a conference of students representatives (universities and institutions of higher education) in May, 1969, which also unanimously agreed that a national service scheme can be an instrument of national integration. The details were soon sorted and the Planning Commission approved an expenditure of Rs. five crores on the NSS during the Fourth Five-Year Plan, which specified that the NSS should be a pilot project in certain institutions and universities. The NSS was inaugurated by the then Union Education Minister V.K.R.V. Rao at 37 Universities across all States of the country on 24 September 1969. The scheme has been expanded to all states/universities of the country and also +2 level institutes in many states.

NSS IN THE PRESENT SCENARIO

National Service Scheme comes under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Govt. of India. Today, NSS has more than 3.2 million student volunteers on its roll spread over 298 Universities and 42 (+2) Senior Secondary Councils and Directorate of Vocational Education all over the country. Student volunteers from various Universities, Colleges and Institutions of Higher education have been benefiting from the activities of NSS since its inception, with over 3.75 crores students benefiting from the activities.

MOTTO

“NOT ME, BUT YOU” reflects the essence of democratic living and signifies 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 as a whole. Therefore, it should be the aim of the NSS to demonstrate this motto in day-to-day programme.

SYMBOL

The logo of the NSS has been designed keeping in mind the philosophy of the NSS. The symbol is based on the ‘Rath Wheel’ of the Konark Sun Temple. The wheel represents the cycle of creation, preservation and release and signifies the movement in life across time and space. The giant wheels symbolize the continuous striving of humanity for the welfare of all and the effort for social change and NSS is to continue this effort.

BADGE

The NSS Symbol is embossed on the NSS Badge. The 8 bars in the wheel represent the 24 hours of the day. The red colour indicates the energy and spirit of the NSS volunteers. The blue colour signifies the cosmos, signifying the inclusion of all in the welfare of the mankind. The motto of the NSS is embossed on the badge which is to be worn by all the NSS volunteers on the left side of the chest.

AIM

The programme aims to inculcate social values in students, and to provide service to society without any bias. NSS volunteers learn how to help needy people in various fields like teaching, social service, rural development, health, etc. It also provides opportunities to students to develop their leadership skills and personality while serving the community.

OBJECTIVES

The broad objectives of NSS are to:

Become familiar with how they fit into their community.
Identify community needs and problems, and engage the community in problem solving process.
To acquire each other a sense of social and civic responsibility.
Utilize their knowledge in finding practical solution to individual and community problems.
Develop skills for the group living and sharing of responsibilities.

Acquire the ability to involve the community in the project.
Develop capacity to meet emergencies and natural disasters.
Practice national integration and social harmony.
Develop leadership skills and democracy approach.
To encourage students to understand and address social issues.

NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME (NSS) – GURU KASHI UNIVERSITY

The National Service Scheme (NSS) at Guru Kashi University stands as a vibrant platform dedicated to nurturing social responsibility, leadership, and community engagement among students. Guided by the motto “Not Me, But You,” NSS aims to develop the personality of students through voluntary community service.

LEADERSHIP AND STRUCTURE

The NSS unit at Guru Kashi University operates under the dynamic leadership of Programme Coordinator Madam Narinder Kaur, who continuously motivates and guides students toward meaningful social contribution. The unit is further strengthened by a dedicated team of twelve Programme Officers, who actively coordinate and implement various NSS activities across different faculties of the university.

VOLUNTEER STRENGTH

The NSS unit proudly comprises more than 1,200 enthusiastic student volunteers, making it one of the most active and impactful student bodies on campus. These volunteers are committed to serving society and contributing positively to the nation.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES

NSS Guru Kashi University regularly organizes a wide range of activities, including:

Cleanliness drives and Swachh Bharat campaigns
Health awareness camps and medical check-ups
Blood donation camps and Red Ribbon Club activities
Environmental protection initiatives such as tree plantation drives
Awareness rallies on social issues like stubble burning, drug abuse, and women empowerment
Participation in state and national level NSS camps, conventions, and youth parliaments

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The NSS unit actively adopts nearby Fourteen (14) villages and works for their holistic development through regular visits, awareness programs, and social service initiatives. Volunteers engage with local communities to promote education, hygiene, health, and sustainable practices.

VISION

To create socially responsible citizens who contribute selflessly towards nation-building and community welfare.

MISSION

To empower students through service-learning, foster empathy, and develop a spirit of volunteerism that continues beyond university life.

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