N.S.S.

National Services Scheme

Brief history of NSS in India:

In India, the idea of involving students in the task of national service was first given by Mahatma Gandhi. According to him education is not mere a mechanism to perceive personal opportunities and benefits but it should provide a more comprehensive sense of social and nation empowerment. Students by making a living contact with the society should do positive things so that the life of people in the society could be raised to a higher material and moral level. The University Grants Commission headed by Dr. Radhakrishnan recommended introduction of national service in the academic institutions on a voluntary basis with a view to establish a constructive linkage between students and the society. Many other committees also gave their recommendations in respect to adopting national service in academic institutions.

On September 24, 1969, the then Union Education Minister Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao, launched the NSS program in 37 universities covering all States and simultaneously requested the Chief Ministers of States for their cooperation and help. Thereafter, 24 September is celebrated every year as NSS day. In NSS a lot of activities concerned with social and environmental enhancement are performed by NSS volunteers during a given academic year.

National Service Scheme in Maharaj Singh College, Saharanpur:

Presently three different units of National Service Scheme are active and making a significant contribution to the social empowerment and nation building. Program officer of NSS Unit I of Maharaj Singh College is Shri Amit Kumar Baliyan. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Zoology. Program Incharge of Unit II and III are Dr. Sanjeev Kumar and Dr. Soni Mittal respectively. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar is an assistant professor of economics while Dr. Soni Mittal is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry. 300 students are currently enrolled in all the NSS Units. each Unit carries 100 students who are known as NSS volunteers.

A large number of activities such as environmental protection, water conservation, road safety, women empowerment, education, awareness, plantation, sanitation and health awareness are performed which encourage the people of society to contribute in the process of nation building. Every year a special 7 day camp and 4 one day camps are essentially organized. Many other cultural and social works are also done by NSS volunteers to create social awareness.