National Service Scheme

About / Profile

Popularly known as NSS, the scheme was launched in Gandhiji's Centenary year, 1969, aimed at developing students' personality through community service. NSS is a voluntary association of young people in Colleges, Universities, and at +2 level, working for a campus-community linkage.

The cardinal principle of the NSS programme is that it is organised by the students themselves. Both students and teachers, through their combined participation in community service, get a sense of involvement in the tasks of nation-building.

The National Service Scheme at Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University provides each student with a significant context in which he/she can arrive at a deeper understanding of social reality in India today. The NSS encourages finding the meaning of life through service. By the spirit of seva, NSS volunteers try to attain real knowledge of themselves, the environment, and a set of values integral to the Indian way of life.

The motto of the National Service Scheme (N.S.S.) is "Not Me, But You". This expresses the essence of democratic living, upholds the need for selfless service, appreciation of another's point of view, and consideration for fellow human beings. It underlines that the welfare of an individual is ultimately dependent on the welfare of society as a whole; therefore, it should be the aim of the N.S.S. to demonstrate this motto in its day-to-day activities.

This programme aims to inculcate social welfare thoughts in students and provide service to society without prejudice. NSS volunteers work hard to ensure that everyone in society who is needy receives every possible help so they can enhance their standards and lead a dignified life. In doing so, the volunteers themselves learn a lot from village people about struggling, leading a happy life with scarce resources, and personality development through social service.

Objectives of NSS

• To enable students to understand the community in which they work.
• To understand themselves in relation to their community.
• To identify the needs and problems in the community and be involved in their solutions.
• To develop a sense of social and civic responsibility.
• To apply their education in finding practical solutions to individual and community problems.
• To develop competence required for group living and sharing responsibilities.
• To gain skills in mobilising community participation.
• To acquire leadership qualities and democratic attitude.
• To develop capacity to meet emergencies and national disasters.
• To practice national integration.

The National Service Scheme has been running at the University since 1999. Initially, one NSS unit was started, but now three units are being conducted. There are 300 seats available across these three units, all of which have been filled for the 2024-2025 session.

Activities of NSS

The activities of NSS are conducted under two categories:

1. Regular activities
2. Camp activities