Lok Sabha Question No. 338 (STARRED), answered on 2018-08-09
Subject: Reforms in NSS and NCC
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: DHARMENDRA YADAV, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO.338

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09-08-2018

## Reforms in NSS and NCC

†*338.    SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  National  Service  Scheme  (NSS)  and  National  Cadet Corps (NCC) have been playing an important role in empowering the youth and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  there  is  any  lack  of  synergy  between  NSS  and  NCC  in empowering the youth, if so, the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to revamp and strengthen NSS and NCC including the details and the outcome of the meeting convened for this purpose;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  role  and  responsibility  of  his  Ministry  in  this regard;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to form a committee comprising representatives from NCC, Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and Human  Resource  Development  to suggest ways  to reform and strengthen  NSS  and  NCC  and  if  so,  the  details  along  with  the composition and mandate thereof; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government for expansion, strengthening training infrastructure, rationalizing resources and addressing the manpower deficiency in NSS and NCC?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS [COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE(RETD.)]

(a) to (e):

A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (E)  OF STARRED  QUESTION  No.  338  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  09.08.2018 REGARDING REFORMS IN NSS AND NCC ASKED BY SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV AND DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE.

- (a) National Cadet Corps (NCC):  NCC has been playing an important role  in  empowering  youth  through  its  Institutionalized  Training    and Social  Service  &  Community  Development  Action Plan,  laid  down  as part of its Training Curriculum.  The details of the institutional training being carried out by NCC are as follows:-
- (i)  Basic Military training.
- (ii)   National Integration and Awareness.
- (iii)  Personality Development & Leadership.
- (iv)  Social Service & Community Development.
- (v)   Health & Hygiene.
- (vi)  Adventure.
- (vii) Environmental Awareness and Conservation.

National Service Scheme  (NSS):National Service  Scheme  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  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 aims  at  developing  the  following  qualities/  competencies  among  the volunteers:

- To understand the community in which the NSS volunteers work  and  to  understand  themselves  in  relation  to  their
- (i) community:
- (ii) To identify the needs and problems of the community and involve themselves in problem-solving exercise:
- To develop among themselves a sense of social and civic
- (iii) responsibility:
- To utilize their knowledge  in  finding practical solutions  to
- (iv) individual and community problems:
- (v) To gain skills in mobilizing community participation:
- (vi) To acquire leadership qualities and democratic values:
- (vii) To  develop  capacity  to  meet  emergencies  and  natural disasters; and

(viii) To practice national integration and social harmony.

- (b)  &  (c):    There  is  no  lack  of  synergy  between  NCC  and  NSS.  A National Coordination Committee of all Youth Organisations (NCCYO) has  been  constituted  on  23 rd   May,  2016  under  the  chairmanship  of Secretary (Youth Affairs) with the following composition for achieving better  coordination  and  synergy  among  the  programmes  of  all  youth organisations including NCC:-

|   1 | Secretary (Youth Affairs)                                   | Chairman         |
|-----|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
|   2 | Defence Secretary                                           | Member           |
|   3 | Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change | Member           |
|   4 | Director General, NCC                                       | Member           |
|   5 | Director, NSS                                               | Member           |
|   6 | Secretary General, Indian Red Cross Society                 | Member           |
|   7 | Chief National Commissioner, Bharat Scouts & Guides         | Member           |
|   8 | National Chief Commissioner, Hindustan Scouts and Guides    | Member           |
|   9 | Director General, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan               | Member Secretary |

The  Committee  meets  time  to  time  for  better  co-ordination  and synergy.

- (d)   Yes Madam. There is a proposal for constitution of a Committee under  the Chairmanship  of  Shri Anil  Swarup,  Former  Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy having representatives from NCC to recommend measures to strengthen NCC and NSS.

Further,  a  National  Service  Scheme  (NSS)  advisory  committee  has been constituted on 25.02.2014 comprising representatives from NCC, Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and Human Resource Development to suggest ways to reform and strengthen NSS with the following details:-

|   S. No. | Members                                        | Designation   |
|----------|------------------------------------------------|---------------|
|        1 | Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs & Sports | Chairperson   |

|   2 | Secretary (Youth Affairs)                                                            | Vice-Chairperson   |
|-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
|   3 | One eminent educationist                                                             | Member             |
|   4 | One eminent individual with experience in Skill training                             | Member             |
|   5 | One eminent individual with experience in promoting social ventures/entrepreneurship | Member             |
|   6 | One eminent individual with experience in youth development                          | Member             |
|   7 | One civil servant with experience in youth development in the centres/states         | Member             |
|   8 | Director General, National Cadet Corps (NCC)                                         | Member             |
|   9 | One representative from AICTE                                                        | Member             |
|  10 | One representative from UGC                                                          | Member             |
|  11 | One representative from CBSE                                                         | Member             |
|  12 | One representative from UNFPA India Country office                                   | Member             |
|  13 | One representative from UNV India Country office                                     | Member             |
|  14 | Director General, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS)                                 | Member             |
|  15 | Executive Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS)                               | Member             |
|  16 | Director, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD)              | Member             |
|  17 | Programme Adviser, National Service Scheme (NSS)                                     | Member             |
|  18 | Joint Secretary (Youth Affairs)                                                      | Member Secretary   |

- (e)  National Cadet Corps (NCC)
- (i) Steps taken for expansion of NCC: Expansion of NCC units is being undertaken in a phased manner.  In 2010 a five phase two lakh cadre expansion  plan  (40000  cadet  per  phase)  was  initiated.    After  its implementation the overall NCC cadre strength would be raised from 13 lakhs to 15 lakhs.  The first two phases of 40000 cadets each were completed in 2016. Currently Phase III and the Phase IV of the plan are

under  implementation.    Proposals  for  raising  new  units  in  the  final phase  i.e.  Phase  V  has  been  received  from  State  Directorates.  The final phase is expected to be completed by 2019-20.

- (ii) Steps taken for strengthening training infrastructure:
- (a) NCC has taken steps to improve the training infrastructure and has  proposed  to  establish  NCC  training  Areas  in  each  State  at  the level  of  one  per  Group  Headquarters  for  conduct  of  training.    The responsibility of establishing these NCC Training Areas is of the State NCC  Directorates  with  budgetary  and  other  support  from  the  State Government.
- (b) A proposal to provide a Camp  Brick to  each NCC  Group HQ  to facilitate smooth conduct of NCC Training camps was discussed in the 49 th   CAC  meeting  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Hon'ble  Raksha  Rajya Mantri.  The proposal is for authorising of Camp Bricks to 39 NCC Gp. Hqs. The total costis Rs.1761.63 lakhs (approx.). Once authorized, the procurement will be carried out in two phases i.e. 20 Camp Bricks in phase-1 and 19 Camp Bricks in phase-II. The case has been forwarded to MoD/D (GS-VI) for GSL on 28 Jun 2018.
- (iii) Steps taken for rationalizing resources: The limited training Areas and specialist training equipment are centrally deployed and optimally used by multiple NCC Units.  The Military establishment and affiliated educational institutions allow NCC units to use their in situ assets for institutional and camp training.
- (iv)  Steps taken for addressing the manpower deficiency in NCC: NCC Civilian  manpower  consists  of  both  Central  Government  employees posted at NCC Directorates and State Government employees posted at NCC Group Hqrs and Units.  The deficiency of military and civil staff to  be  provided  by  Central  Govt  is  limited.    However,  there  are substantial shortages of civilian staff (average 36%) to be provided by various  State  Govts.    Deficiency  of  Civilian  Central  Government employees  is  taken  up  with  Army  HQ/AG  MP  for  filling  up  through surplus  pool  of  employees.    The  deficiency  of  State  Government employees was raised along with other issues in the JS (R&D) meeting (Joint State Representatives meeting chaired by RRM).

## National Service Scheme (NSS)

Apart from Government funding, the Government has permitted setting up of Self-Financing Units(SFUs) of NSS in the States/UTs. Educational

Institutions  can  set  up  any  number  of  SFUs  so  long  as  they  are prepared to meet the expenses of running of these units by themselves.  The units set up under this mechanism enjoy the same status as that of any other NSS unit, the only different being that these units  are  funded  by  the  institutions  that  set  them  up.    As  the  name itself  is  self  explanatory,  the  SFUs  are  self-  financed  and  are  not funded  by  the  Government  of  India.  There  is  a  parallel  target  to achieve 10% of enrolment (of total Government funded Units) through SFU  mechanism.    Since  Government  does  not  fund  these  SFUs  the cost  estimate  would  not  change.    Training/Capacity  Building  of  NSS Programme Officers are done through Empanelled Training Institutes (ETIs) for effective implementation of NSS programmes.  A transparent mechanism  for  selection  of  ETIs  has  been  developed  and  action  to judge the performance of all the ETIs  has been initiated so as to weed out the defunct ETIs and empanel  new ETIs for ensuring high quality training and exposure to NSS Programme Officers. To fill up the vacant positions necessary steps like revision of Recruitment Rules, coordination  with  various  agencies  like  Staff  Selection  Commission and Union Public Service Commission etc. have already been undertaken.    No  new  posts  are  proposed  to  be  created  in  the  NSS. There  is  no  additional  manpower  requirement  for  the  Scheme.    The Scheme with enhanced NSS volunteer strength shall be managed with the existing manpower.

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