National Service Scheme, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Govt. of India, popularly known as NSS was launched in the Honourable Mahatma Gandhi's Birth Centenary Year 1969, in 37 Universities involving 40,000 students with primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service. Today, NSS has more than 3.2 million student volunteers on its roll spread over 298 Universities and 42 (+2) Senior Secondary Councils and Directorate of Vocational Education all over the country. From its inception, more than 3.75 crores students from Universities, Colleges and Institutions of higher learning have benefited from the NSS activities, as student volunteers.
National Service Scheme provides the students an opportunity to understand the community; identify its needs and problems as well as the solutions in which they can be involved by assuming social and civic responsibilities. NSS also provides students with the opportunity to apply their education in finding practical solutions to the problems faced by the individuals and the community at large. NSS aims at arousing social consciousness of the youth with an overall objective of personality development through community service. NSS enables students to participate in various programmes of social service and national development, and to help the community.
The motto of NSS is - ‘Not Me But You’ - giving out the message to put others before oneself. It highlights the basic philosophy of NSS, which is the appreciation of other’s point of view and consideration of other living beings. NSS believes that the welfare of an individual lies in the welfare of the society and thus, the welfare of the society is the major objective of the NSS volunteers.
The symbol of the National Service Scheme is based on the 'Rath' wheel of the Konark Sun Temple situated in Orissa. These giant wheels of the Sun Temple portray the cycle of creation, preservation and release, and signify the movement in life across time and space. The design of the symbol, a simplified form of the Sun-chariot wheel primarily depicts movement. The wheel signifies the progressive cycle of life. It stands for continuity as well as change and implies the continuous striving of NSS for social transformation and upliftment.
in the past the themes of the Special Camping Programmes have been 'Youth Against Famine', 'Youth Against Dirt and Disease', 'Youth for Rural Reconstruction', 'Youth for Eco-Development', 'Youth for Mass Literacy', 'Youth for National Integration & Social Harmony', 'Youth for Sustainable Development with special focus on Watershed Management and Wasteland Development'
