Lok Sabha Question No. 679 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-22
Subject: National Service Scheme
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: B. Y. Raghavendra, Vijay Kumar Dubey, Anurag Sharma, Rebati Tripura

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 679 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2021

## National Service Scheme

679.  SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

SHRI REBATI TRIPURA:

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

- (a) whether it is true that National Service Scheme (NSS) is playing a key role in empowering the youth of the country and if so, the details thereof along with the initiatives taken by the Government  to encourage NSS students;
- (b) the total number of students who are enrolled under the NSS in the State of Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Karnatka at present;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  the  number  of students under NSS and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the amount of funds allocated/spent under NSS during each of the last three years and the current year; and
- (e)  the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  encourage  all educational institutions to include NSS in their activities/curriculum?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS [SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR]

- (a)  Yes,  National  Service  Scheme  (NSS)  is  playing  a  key  role  in empowering the youth of the country. 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'  in  Hindi  ' स्वयं से पहले आप ' .  An  NSS  volunteer  places  the 'community' before 'self'. At Present, NSS  has  about  40  lakh volunteers  on  its  rolls  spread  over  479  Universities,  51  +2  Councils covering  17,676  colleges  and  12,087  schools.  The  achievements  of NSS are in the form of development of personality and character of the student  volunteers.  NSS  has  made  significant  contribution  to  mass literacy, health, family welfare & nutrition, environment conservation, social service programme, women empowerment, relief and rehabilitation during natural calamities etc.

As a means to encourage the NSS Volunteers to recognise their outstanding  contributions  towards  community  service,  the  Ministry confers the NSS Awards every year in the following 3 categories with a view to further promote NSS across the country:-

|   S. No | Category                               | No. of Awards   | Value of Award                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|---------|----------------------------------------|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | University/ +2 Council                 | 02              | First Award: Rs.5,00,000/- (for NSS Programme Development) with a Trophy to the University/ +2 Council. A Certificate and a Silver Medal to the Programme Coordinator. Second Award: Rs.3,00,000 lakh (for NSS Programme Development) with a Trophy to the University/ +2 Council. A Certificate and a Silver Medal to the Programme Coordinator. |
|       2 | NSS Units and their Programme Officers | 10 + 10         | Rs.2,00,000/- to each NSS Unit (For NSS Programme Development), with a Trophy. Rs. 1,50,000/- to each Programme Officer with a Certificate and a Silver Medal.                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|       3 | NSS Volunteers                         | 30              | Rs. 1,00,000/- to each Volunteer, with a Certificate and a Silver Medal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |

- (b)    The  total number of students who are enrolled under the NSS in the  State  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  Tripura  and  Karnataka  at  present    for which the NSS Grants are being released to the respective States are as follows:
- (c) There  is  a  long  pending  demand  from  different States/UTs Government  for  creation  of  additional  NSS  units  in  their  institutions which would lead to increase in  the number of NSS Volunteers. Due to budget  constraints,  it  has  not  been  possible  for  the  Department  to agree to creation of additional NSS units. At present, the Department has enrolled 36 lakh volunteers under NSS for which the NSS Grants is being released to all the States/UTs for conducting NSS programmes. Apart from this, 4000 Self Financing Units (1 unit= 100 volunteer) are working  with  the  different  educational  institutions  in  the  country towards the community service under NSS.
- (d) The amount of funds released to the States/UTs Government for organizing the NSS activities during the each of the last three years and current years are as follows;

|   S. No. | Name of State   |   No. of NSS Volunteers enrolled |
|----------|-----------------|----------------------------------|
|        1 | Uttar Pradesh   |                           307600 |
|        2 | Tripura         |                            32600 |
|        3 | Karnataka       |                           278200 |

|   S. N. | Name of State   |   Fund released in 2018-19 (in Rs.) |   Fund released in 2019-20 (in Rs.) |   Fund released in 2020-21 (in Rs.) |
|---------|-----------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|       1 | Uttar Pradesh   |                              651956 |                           109582500 |                             9513698 |
|       2 | Tripura         |                            13936500 |                            13936500 |                            13936500 |
|       3 | Karnataka       |                            76980476 |                            99034169 |                                  00 |

During current year, proposal for release of funds to these States are under consideration and would be done shortly.

e) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had organized sensitization workshop with all the stake holders i.e State  NSS Officers, Programme Coordinators, Association of Indian Universities, University Grants Commission to formulate the template of NSS as a credit based elective subject. Based on the proposal of the Ministry,  an  advisory was issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to all the Vice Chancellors of Universities to start NSS as an elective subject  in all the educational institutions.

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