The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government sector public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affair and Sports of the Government of India. Popularly known as NSS, the scheme was launched in Mahatma Gandhi‘s centenary year in 1969. 

National Service Scheme (NSS) was introduced in 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. ‘Education through Service’ is the purpose of the NSS. The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.Very appropriately, the motto of NSS is “NOT ME, BUT YOU”. An NSS volunteer places the ‘community’ before ‘self’.

NSS attempts to establish meaningful linkages between ‘Campus and Community’,

‘College and Village’ and ‘Knowledge and Action’. 

Aimed at developing student’s 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 

On September 24, 1969, the then Union Education Minister Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao launched the NSS programme in 37 universities covering all States and simultaneously requested the Chief Ministers of States for their cooperation and help. It was appropriate that the programme was started during the Gandhi Centenary Year as it was Gandhi Ji who inspired the Indian youth to participate in the movement for India’s independence and the social upliftment of the downtrodden masses of our nation.

The programme aims to instill the idea of social welfare in students, and to provide service to society without bias. NSS volunteers work to ensure that everyone who is needy gets help to enhance their standard of living and lead a life of dignity. In doing so, volunteers learn from people in villages how to lead a good life despite a scarcity of resources. It also provides help in natural and man-made disasters by providing food, clothing and first aid to the disaster’s victims.

At national level, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India is the nodal authority, which works with state-level NSS cells. State-level NSS cells are responsibility of the respective state governments. Within states, each university has University level NSS cell under which institutions (schools and colleges) based NSS units operate. Most government and government-aided institutions have volunteer NSS units. Institutions are encouraged to have NSS volunteers. A unit typically comprises 100 students. They are managed internally by a responsible party from the school or college, who reports to the regional NSS coordinator.

  There are two types of NSS 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 NSS are entitled to a certificate from the university under the signature of the Vice-Chancellor and the Programme Coordinator. In some institutions volunteers are involved in regular blood donation and traffic control (regulating queues in temples and preventing stampedes at functions). National conferences are held regularly to conduct white-paper and project presentations.