The National Service Scheme (NSS) Marching Contingen
TheNational Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government sector public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs[1] and Sports of the Government of India aimed at developing the personality and civic responsibility of student volunteers through community service. With the motto "Not Me But You," it engages millions of students in higher education institutions and senior secondary schools across the country in regular and special camping activities focused on education, health, environment, disaster relief, and social welfare. Launched as a pilot in 1969 across 37 universities with 40,000 volunteers, NSS has grown to encompass over 39,000 units and approximately 3.6 to 4.3 million active volunteers in recent years, with more than 47.8 million students having participated since inception.
Mahatma Gandhi emphasized students' social responsibility alongside their education. Equally, the post-independence era of India urged an introduction for social service by students.[2] This idea was considered in 1950 and 1952 and educational institutions launched various labour and service camps, campus work projects, and village apprenticeship programs.[2]
In 1959, state education ministers were presented with the idea of involving students in organized national service in India. A National Service Committee was established on 28 August 1959 under the chair, C. D. Deshmukh, to pilot the idea. The recommendation was a period of nine months to a year of national service.[2][3]
In 1969, a conference convened by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission supported a national service scheme as an instrument of national integration. The NSS was formally launched in September of 1969, the birth-centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi, in 37 universities and approximately 40,000 student volunteers.[3][2][4]
Motto & objectives
The motto for the NSS is, "Not me but you", with a goal of "education through service" emphasizing the integration of community with the educational process.[5][6]
Administrative structure
From the initial 37 universities, the NSS has expanded to hundreds of universities with several million volunteers.[5] The NSS is a fully funded program by the Government of India under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.[7][3]
National Service Scheme: guide-lines to project-masters, by Andhra University, Dept. of Sociology & Social Work. Published by Dept. of Sociology & Social Work, Andhra University, 1971.
National Service Scheme in Gujarat: An Evaluation Report for the Year 1986–87, by Tata Institute of Social Sciences Training Orientation & Research Centre (NSS), India, India. Dept. of Youth Affairs and Sports. Published by The Centre, 1987.
National Service Scheme in Maharashtra: An Evaluation Report for the Year 1986–87, by Tata Institute of Social Sciences Training Orientation & Research Centre (NSS), India, India Dept. of Youth Affairs and Sports. Published by The Centre, 1988.
National Service Scheme in India: A Case Study of Karnataka, by M. B. Dilshad. Published by Trust Publications, 2001.
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