President Ram Nath Kovind will on Friday virtually confer National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for the year 2019-2020 from Rashtrapati Bhawan.
These awards will be given to 42 awardees in three different categories like University/ +2 Councils, NSS Units and their Programme Officers and National Service Scheme volunteers.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik will also attend the event from Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi.
Every year the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Department of Youth Affairs confers the National Service Scheme Award to recognise and reward outstanding contributions towards voluntary community service made by the Universities/Colleges, (+2) Councils, Senior Secondary, NSS Units/ Programme Officers and NSS volunteers, with a view to further promote NSS in the country.
National Service Scheme is a Centrally Sector Scheme which was launched in the year 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. 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” in Hindi (‘स्वयं से पहले आप’).
Briefly, the NSS volunteers work on issues of social relevance, which keep evolving in response to the needs of the community, through regular and special camping activities. Such issues include:
- (i) literacy and education,
- (ii) health, family welfare and nutrition,
- (iii) environment conservation,
- (inv) social service programmes,
- (v) programmes for empowerment of women,
- (vi) programmes connected with economic development activities,
- (vii) rescue and relief during calamities, etc.
(With inputs from ANI)