NSS – St. Thomas College

National Service Scheme (NSS)

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Overview

The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government-sponsored public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India. Popularly known as NSS, the scheme was launched in Gandhiji’s birth centenary year i.e, 1969. Aimed at developing students’ personality through direct involvement in community service, it operates as a voluntary association of young people in colleges, universities and at +2 level that works towards forging campus-community linkage.

SYMBOL

The symbol for the NSS is based on the giant chariot wheel of the world-famous Konark Sun Temple (The Black Pagoda) situated in Odisha, India. The wheel portrays the cycle of creation, preservation, and release. It signifies the movement in life across time & space, thus symbolizing continuity as well as change and thereby implies the continuous striving of NSS volunteers for social change. The eight spokes of the wheel represent 24 hours of a day.

AIM

The programme aims to instil the idea of social welfare in students, and to provide selfless service to the society without any prejudice or discrimination. NSS volunteers work tirelessly to enhance the standard of living of the disadvantaged and the deprived sections and enable them to lead a life of dignity. While doing so, volunteers also imbibe important life lessons from the villagers, like for instance about leading a good life despite scarcity of resources. They also help during natural and man-made disasters by providing food, clothing, shelter and first aid to the victims. They work alongside disaster relief organizations through the response, recovery, and mitigation phases following an emergency.

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES

There are two types of activities: Regular Activities (120 hours) and Annual Special Camp (120 hours). All the NSS Volunteers who have served NSS for at least 2 years and have performed 240 hours of work under it are entitled to a certificate from the university under the signature of the Vice-Chancellor and the Programme Coordinator. The annual camps, also known as special camps, are funded by the Government of India, and are usually held in a village or a city suburb. Volunteers participate in the following activities in such camps:

Cleaning
Tree plantation
Street plays or skits related to issues like social problems, education, and cleanliness
Awareness rallies
Inviting doctors for health camps
Community survey

There are no predefined or pre assigned tasks in the camps and the volunteers are given full autonomy to provide service in any feasible way. Camps are usually conducted for the period of a week to 10 days, though camps for shorter periods are also conducted by NSS.

NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME IN ST. THOMAS COLLEGE

The NSS unit of St. Thomas College has been actively working towards social service since the last 37 years guided by the NSS motto of “Not me but you” and fulfilling its primary institutional objective of ‘service to all’. Its volunteers have actively participated in programmes oriented towards spreading awareness about child marriage, gender issues, dowry, fitness, tobacco & substance abuse, sanitization, social harmony, environment enrichment, adolescent health issues, disaster management etc. in various villages of Durg district. It has also joined hands with the UNICEF Blue Brigade from 2020 onwards to raise public awareness on issues like immunization, health & nutrition services, child marriage, child labour, child trafficking, sanitation, and education both directly and through social media platforms.