National Service SchemeNational Service SchemeIIT KharagpurIIT Kharagpur

NSS, IIT Kharagpur : Overview of Program and Rules

Debasis RoyProgram CoordinatorProgram CoordinatorNSS IIT KharagpurNSS IIT Kharagpur

Orientation Program, 2016

Aug 6, 2016

The symbol

• Navy blue: representing the cosmos of which the NSS is a tiny part, ready to contribute for the welfare of mankind.

• Red: Vigor / spirit • The giant wheel: portray the cycle of creation,

preservation and release (the cycle of life)

NSS Motto: Not Me, But You

Reflects • the essence of democratic living • the need for selfless service and appreciation of

other persons’ points of view • Show consideration for fellow human beings Because • Welfare of an individual is dependent on the

welfare of society on the whole Endeavor• To implement the motto in its day-to-day program

Why NSS?

• To give an extra dimension to higher education to orient youth to community service

• To prevent college and +2 level students from getting alienated from the majority of the population

• To expose them to the realities of life and bring about a change in their social perception

• To sensitize them to the needs of the masses so that they can accommodate them when they become policy makers

The NSS movement

• The national education policy of 1986 (modified in 1992) intends to provide opportunities to the youth to involve themselves in national and social development through educational institutions and outside agencies

• Activities undertaken by the NSS volunteers in adopted villages/slums for community service on yearly basis

• Duration of these services 120 hours each year

Aims of NSS activities

• Making education more relevant to meet community needs of by exposing students to rural situation

• Providing opportunities to the students to play a role in planning and executing development projects for durable community assets in rural areas and urban slums and improving the quality of life of economically and socially weaker sections

• Encouraging students to work with other adults in rural areas

Aims of NSS activities…

• Develop leadership qualities by unlocking latent potential among students and local youth to involve them in development programs

• Emphasize dignity of labor and self help and combine physical work with intellectual pursuits

• Encourage youth to participate enthusiastically in national development and promote national integration, through corporate living and cooperative action

NSS Objectives

• Understand the community in which the unit works and the inter relationship of the unit and the community

• Identify the needs and problems of the community and involve jointly solve the problems

• Develop a sense of social and civic responsibility amongst all concerned

• Utilize prevailing knowledge in finding practical solution to individual and community problems

NSS Objectives…

• Develop competence for group living and responsibility sharing

• Develop skills in mobilizing the community• Acquire leadership qualities and democratic

attitude• Develop capacity to meet emergencies and

natural disasters• Practice national integration and social harmony

Organization, members and responsibilities

• Unit – Normally 100 NSS volunteers (students)– But up to 120 volunteers in exceptional cases

where second unit cannot be raised due to constraints

– Headed by a Program Officer• Program Officer

– Motivates, guides and directs volunteers to understand the values and philosophy of NSS

– Helps volunteers to plan, implement, and evaluate the activities of NSS

Organization, members and responsibilities…

• Volunteer (code of conduct)– Works under a group leader– Makes himself/herself worthy of confidence and

cooperation of group, community and leadership– Does NOT entering into any controversial issue– Records activities and experiences in NSS Diary and

gets it checked by the Program Officer– Wears NSS Badge while on work

Organization, members and responsibilities…

• Unit – Identifies sphere of activity (village / slum /

institution): Adoption of village / slum / institution– Contacts community leaders / representatives– Identifies problems jointly with community leaders /

representatives– Solves the problems drawing participation from

community members– Evaluates project outcome / experience

Broad approach• Adopt schools / institutions and external resources

– Talent spotting, nurturing • Help with reading and writing letters / forms• Propagate messages on the benefits of small family,

health education, small savings drives, …• Improve physical environment, personal hygiene

– Water conservation, maintain cultural heritage and monuments

– Integrate with schemes such as MNREGS, pulse polio initiative– Help with geriatric care

• Arrange for informal education, literacy classes, economic development activities– Computer literacy– Vocational training (tailoring, trades, handicrafts, …)– Establish hobby center

Environment enrichment / conservation• Planting trees and preserve greenery• Construct and maintain village streets, drains,

preserve and maintain monuments and cultural heritage…

• Keep environment clean– Clean village ponds, wells– Encourage environmental sanitation, garbage disposal

(composting)– Undertake soil conservation programs– Watershed management and wasteland development

• Popularize use of renewable energy– Construct biogas plants

Health, family welfare and nutrition• Mass immunization (e.g., pulse polio)• Nutrition program• Safe and clean drinking water• Integrated child dev. program (Anganwadi)• Health education, AIDS awareness and

preliminary health care• Population education and family welfare• Lifestyle education and counseling• Healthy baby and mother competition, special

emphasis on girl child and her education• Geriatric care

Education and recreation• Adult education, continuing education for school

dropouts, coaching for students of weaker sections, vocational training, customer awareness, legal literacy

• Cultural and recreation program for the community – Use mass media for instruction and recreation, – Community singing, dancing…

• Youth clubs, and indigenous sports activities• Discussion groups

– Eradications of communalism, caste-ism, regionalism, drug abuse etc.

Experience• Identify potential leaders through, e.g.,

– Schools, panchayat members, personal contacts– Interaction with local youth (e.g., by sports

competition)– Community involvement (e.g., by cultural programs,

drawing competitions)• Map village / slum

– Identify water bodies– Sources of drinking water and water quality

• Awareness campaign through, e.g.,– Street plays (by NSS volunteers and interested local

participants) covering issues on girl child, dowry, nutrition of women or senior citizen and social issues (substance abuse, …)

Experience…• Health and environment

– Identify and preserve cultural monuments– Organize health and blood donation camps (Rotary,

Red Cross)– Organize environmental awareness campaign (biogas,

composting, sanitation…)– Water quality assessments and cleaning of water

sources (wells, …)• At schools and with others involved with education

– Identify recent school dropouts – Organize spoken English class, vocational training,

computer education, adult literacy class, …– Disseminating scholarship to deserving students of

weaker sections and tracking student performances

Experience…

• Become familiar with Govt. welfare schemes like MNREGS, incentives to backward castes etc. (see, e.g., http://cyberjournalist.org.in/links.html)

• Make people aware of benefit of govt. programs (BPL and caste certificates), initiate interaction with govt. agencies

• Document unit-level activities– Monthly reports and material for NSS website and

NSS Newsletter “Anurag”• Generation idea through brain-storming or looking

at what other NSS units in different universities or welfare organizations are doing

• Very limited financial resources: need to coordinate activities with government agencies and NGOs to maximize outcome

• After assessing local need there needs to be an effective coordination with government agencies (forestry, agriculture, adult education, health, child and family welfare, …) and local resource persons and facilitators (panchayat members, school teachers, anganwadi workers, social workers…)

Resources

NSS Diary contents page and reporting format

• Marks distribution: Attendance (30) + Quality of work (40) + NSS Diary (20) + End Sem. Test (10)

• Minimum 75% attendance for a “P” grade or better. Up to 25% absence will be condoned if leave application with proper document is submitted.

• We follow 7-point grading system as in any sessional course. Grade will be reflected although the credit associated is zero. An “F” grade could lead to year lag, non-availability of minor, scholarships or awards as in any other academic course.

Evaluation

Certificate / Recognition

• A volunteer is entitled to NSS certificate and IG National Award upon rendering 240 hours of community service in two consecutive years and participation in 10 days special Annual Camp

• Volunteers who render community service of exceptionally high standard may be honored in public and also recommended for participation in state, regional, national youth events

• Certificate of Recognition in NSS Annual function • One institute level award• Interview / coverage of volunteer in NSS

mouthpiece and other media

NSS, IIT Kharagpur: Web Presence

• http://iitkgp.ac.in/nss/home.html

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vr5bORLiDw • http://picasaweb.google.com/gsaha.iitkgp/NSSCampPic# • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRZgDLVnR_o

• http://picasaweb.google.com/gsaha.iitkgp/NSSDAY24THSEP2010#http://picasaweb.google.com/gsaha.iitkgp/NSSIITKGPGiftToSchools#

•http://picasaweb.google.com/gsaha.iitkgp/NSSIITKGPHealthCampExperience#http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCE-8N1Dtx0

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0RrWjf-xashttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/12216947/NSS%20Day/NSS%20Day%2040%20min.wmv

• Many more such links and previous edition of newsletters

http://nssiitkgp.blogspot.com

NSS, IIT KharagpurTowards an ecosystem that values inclusive and sustainable growth

Thank You“Not Me, But You.”