HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Government and educationist thought it is necessary to introduce some form of social and national service for students as an integral part of education at all stages that it would become an instrument to build character, improve discipline, inculcate a faith in the dignity of manual labour and develop among the youth a sense of social responsibility. The idea of introducing national service for youth was placed before the country since independence. The Radhakrishnan Commission had originally envisaged the idea of national service by youth but it favored a voluntary approach. In the first Five Year Plan also, a voluntary approach, on pilot project basis was recommended. As a result of this proposal, labour and social service camps were instituted.
In 1958, the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, placed the idea of national service by students before the Chief Ministers and suggested that all young men and women between the age of 19 and 22 should be enlisted for compulsory social service for the nation. A committee was appointed under the Chairmanship of Dr. C. D. Deshmukh on 28 Aug. 1959 to examine the proposal and make concrete suggestions. This committee recommended that national service for a consolidated period of 9 to 12 months may be required of all students completing high school education and intending to enroll themselves in a college or a University.
In the light of the recommendation of the Education Committee (1964-66) the question of providing opportunities for involvement of students in community work was considered at various levels such as vice-chancellors conference in September 1967 and in May, 1969 in a conference of the student representatives by the Ministry of Education and UGC. Eventually the Minister of Education and Youth Services, Government of India, launched the National Service Scheme during 1969-1970.
On Sept. 24, 1969, the Union Education Minister Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao launched the NSS programme in 37 Universities covering all States. The National Service Scheme was born on 1969-70 making the centenary year celebration of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
OBJECTIVES OF THE NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME
The objectives of the scheme are broadly, education and service. It is intended that as the results of the students’ involvement in the scheme, their perception and realistic appraisal of social reality would be enhanced. The scheme envisages the enhancement of the students’ knowledge of self and the community through a confrontation with reality and to give a practical basis for the conceptual imparted. The second objective of the scheme relates to its service orientation.
PROGRAMMES
Campus beautification, conducting literacy classes, working in welfare organizations, hospitals and helping the authorities in traffic control and conducting cleanliness drives in the slum areas were some of the programmes undertaken by the students in the initial stages of the scheme’s operation.
The programmes under the NSS can be broadly be divided into two major categories:
1. Special Camping Programmes: The camps are held during Vacation for 7 days in the communities adopted by the concerned NSS units. The campers consist of the programme officers, student volunteers and youth. The various projects undertaken could involve developmental work, health and sanitation campaigns, survey work, educational projects and other relief work. These projects also create durable assets (roads, wells/ponds, soak pits, etc.), provide support to local developmental programmes and form importance links between the people and developmental agencies.
2. Regular Programmes: Under the regular programmes, the student is involved in a variety of welfare activities which are distributed throughout the academic year. A student is expected to put in 120 hours a year.
1. Special Camping Programmes: The camps are held during Vacation for 7 days in the communities adopted by the concerned NSS units. The campers consist of the programme officers, student volunteers and youth. The various projects undertaken could involve developmental work, health and sanitation campaigns, survey work, educational projects and other relief work. These projects also create durable assets (roads, wells/ponds, soak pits, etc.), provide support to local developmental programmes and form importance links between the people and developmental agencies.
2. Regular Programmes: Under the regular programmes, the student is involved in a variety of welfare activities which are distributed throughout the academic year. A student is expected to put in 120 hours a year.
The activities undertaken as regular programmes can be social service in institutions like hospitals, schools, work in institutions for handicapped, etc. work can also be done without an agency structure, campaign, socio-economic projects, or follow-up of activities initiated during the special camps.
Each NSS unit has the freedom to choose such programmes as may meet local needs, suit interests of students and relate to local conditions.
During the various campaigns the student volunteers do commendable work by taking up many useful community projects such as road laying, providing drinking water facilities, undertaking rural electrification, public health and sanitation, adult education, family welfare, tree plantation, rodent control, weed control, animals health care, pets managements, welfare of youth, women and children, educational campaigns to eradicate the social evils.
Now that the developmental departments in the areas of rural, slum development, child and women welfare are showing keen interest in NSS activities and some degree of coordination is being developed between them and enable them to participate in the socio-economic development of the areas in which colleges are located.
AIM
NSS units are free to take up any activity or activities depending on the needs, priorities of the area and diverse interests and aptitude of the students but the aim of these activities should be:
1. Making education more relevant to the present situation to meet the felt needs of the community.
2. Supplement the academic education of the school/college.
3. Bring students face to face with the realities of the situation.
4. Provide opportunities to the students to play their role in planning and execution.
5. Bringing improvement of quality of life of socially weaker section of the society.
6. Encouraging students and non-students to work together along with other adults of the community.
7. Develop leadership qualities by discovering the hidden potential among the youth.
8. Emphasizing dignity of labour and self-help.
9. Encourage the youth to participate in the process of national development.
10. Install discipline, build character, promote physical fitness and develop culture.
