Bhubaneswar: National Service Scheme (NSS) units will be opened in all colleges of the State and made more proactive, said Odisha Higher Education Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.
Chairing a high level meeting of the State Advisory Committee of the NSS, Nayak said a new awakening among the youth is possible if higher education institutions in Odisha pay more attention in this regard.
The Minister said that NSS was started on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth centenary as a mark of gratitude to the Father of the Nation.
Over 50 years, many NSS volunteers and officers of Odisha have earned fame at the state, national and international levels. Social service has an important role to play in social change, he pointed out.
He said that NSS provides opportunities to students of +2, graduation and post graduation to serve and shape their future careers as social workers as well as become dedicated social workers for the nation and state.
If the chancellors of various universities, higher education council, college principals and NSS officers work dedicatedly then youth and students can be deployed for reform work and changes can be brought about in individual and social life.
Higher Education Secretary Arvind Agarwal said that now there are more than 124,000 volunteers in 1,241 NSS units in educational institutions under the control of Higher Education Council, including 25 public and private universities in Odisha.
Agarwal said that to make the NSS program extensive and attractive, the NSS program officers have to awaken values among the students’ and added that funds will not be a constraint.
He suggested to all universities and higher education council that special camps can be conducted to solve various problems in their respective areas in the field of de-addiction, environmental protection, women empowerment, blood donation, road safety, cleanliness and discipline so that NSS volunteers work more and NSS Odisha becomes the best at the national level.
NSS Regional Director Dr Sarita Patel, State Government NSS Coordinator Ramesh Chandra Behera and Vice-Chancellors and NSS officials gave their opinions in the meeting.
Special invitee Padma Shri Sabarmati and Gandhian thinker Prahlad Kumar Singh gave many thoughtful suggestions to make NSS more effective.
