NSS volunteers generally work in villages, slums and voluntary agencies to complete
120 hours of regular activities during an academic year. As per the fundamental
principles of National Service Scheme, a volunteer is expected to remain in constant
touch with the community. Hence, it is of vital importance that a particular village/slum
is selected for implementation of NSS programmes. As the NSS volunteer is to live
with the members of the community during the 7 days Special Camping Programme and
learn from their experience during his/her tenure in NSS, the village/slum should
be carefully selected for adoption by NSS unit.
1. Adoption of Villages
1.1 Adoption of a village and area is a very meaningful programme in NSS. It is
far better to concentrate attention on one village and take up the task for development
perspective, than to fritter away energy in many locations involving too many activities
which may not be completed at all or where the follow up action may not be possible.
From this point of view, village adoption programme should ensure continuity of
work vis-a-vis sustained action, evaluation and follow up work.
Contacting Village/Area Leaders
1.2 As a first step in this programme, it is necessary to establish contact with
more than one village which would help to select a village where 'Leadership' is
well established. In other words, selecting a village with proper leadership is
very important as the sustained follow up action and evaluation is ensured in such
places. To start with, the NSS unit can take the help of the Block Authorities,
District Panchayat Officer, District Tribal Welfare Officer, District Medical Officer,
Extension Officer of Agriculture, Irrigation and Education Departments for the selection
of the village. It is to be noted that the selected villages should be within a
short distance from the college so that constant contact can easily be made.
Survey of the Village/Area
1.3 Before drawing up the plan of action, it is absolutely necessary to conduct
a comprehensive survey of few villages situated at a short distance from the college.
The assistance from the teachers and students of agriculture, economics, commerce,
geography, statistics, home science, social work, medicine, psychology and education
etc. have to be sought for the purpose. Conducting socio-economic survey can be
an interesting field activity which has direct bearing on the curriculum of economics,
commerce, statistics, psychology, health education etc. The report of such a survey
will provide up-to-date information about the problems and potentials of the village
and help in programme planning for village development. The applied field work will
help the students to increase their analytical ability and deepen their thinking.
Further, this will help them to identify the problems which have been left unnoticed.
The survey work can also be accomplished with the help of PRA exercises (Participatory
Rural Appraisal)
Identification of Problem(s)
1.4 It is on the basis of this need assessment that projects/programmes are to be
formulated. The programme officers should use their discretion and should identify
the projects which can be completed by seeking assistance from the communities/other
agencies.
1.5 The aim of adoption of village or area is to give new ideas of development to
the villagers which would improve their living conditions. Once the trust of the
communities is won, they start cooperating with the NSS volunteers and approach
them for solution of their problems. One of the important services that can be rendered
by NSS volunteers is disseminating information about the latest developments in
agriculture, watershed management, wastelands development, non-conventional energy,
low cost housing, sanitation, nutrition and personal hygiene, schemes for skill
development, income generation, government schemes such as Swachch Bharat, Ayushman
Bharat, Accessible India, Digital India, Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao, Environment
and Energy Conservation and Education, legal aid, consumer protection and allied
field.
1.6 The Programme Officers (PO) should motivate the communities to involve themselves
with NSS for the community development work undertaken by the NSS unit. Further
he or she will have to seek the help of various government departments and agencies
for technical advice and financial assistance. Therefore, he/she must establish
good rapport with the government officials and development agencies. For this, it
is better if the administration is taken into confidence by prior consultations.
Completion of Projects
1.7 As already stated, the Programme Officer must select the projects very carefully
as the image of NSS depends upon the successful completion of such projects. Successful
completion of the projects can win appreciation and credit of the community'
Evaluation of Project
1.8 Every project should be evaluated after its completion by involving members
of the community, Government officials and Panchayat officials. The NSS unit should
learn from the lapses in the execution of the project and plan for the next project
keeping in view the bottlenecks and constraints faced by them during the earlier
project.
2. Adoption of Slums
Most of the colleges and universities are usually located in the urban areas. Due
to long distance between the college campuses and the villages, the visits to the
adopted villages by the NSS volunteers may become expensive and time consuming.
In view of this, it is desirable to adopt slum especially by colleges located in
urban areas.
Survey of the Slum
2.1 For adoption of a slum, there should be composite survey team consisting of
students drawn from faculties like, Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, Home Science
and Social Work etc. The selected areas should be compact and should be easily accessible
for students. Areas with acute political conflicts may be avoided.
2.2 The issues pertaining to the identification of problems, project planning, interaction
and coordination with the various departmental agencies, execution and completion
of projects shall be undertaken on the same basis/lines as discussed earlier in
the part 'Adoption of Villages'. The progress of projects should also be reviewed
frequently.
Services in Slums
2.3 The slum, tenements, Jhuggis and Jhoupris can be adopted by the NSS units with
the aim of slum improvement. Under this, activities like providing water, water
logging, sanitation, electricity, drainage, health and welfare services, life and
living conditions, can be undertaken.
NSS volunteers for Slum Work
2.4 Taking into account the living conditions & status of slum dwellers of the
slums, only highly motivated, adaptable, mature and skilled students should be selected
for slum development.
2.5 Following are the tasks which the students can undertake in slum areas:-
(a) As Community Investigators: They can prepare brief community profile on various
slums in the city or town covering different amenities, services, and living conditions
etc.
(b) As Community Workers: They can identify local leaders and in cooperation with
them discuss local problems on which cooperative action can be initiated.
(c) As Programme Aides: Students can help the local communities' in launching a
number of programmes like setting up a free milk distribution centre, sanitation
drive, recreation, adult lad primary education, health projects like immunization.
first aid centre, child care, nutrition classes, and free legal aid centres etc.
They can also help in forming youth clubs, children's groups, mahila mandals etc.
(d) As Community Organizers: NSS students, after establishing rapport with the slum
dwellers, can form community association to tackle local problems on a group basis
with reliance on local resources, self help and mutual aid and with some minimum
external assistance.
2.6 Some suggestions for Selection of slums
(i) There should be a socio-economic survey of the slum by a team of volunteers
drawn from different faculties;
(ii) The selected area should be compact. There should not be more than 300 residents
in an adopted slum;
(iii) The community people should be receptive to the ideas of improving their living
standard. They should also be ready to coordinate and involve in the projects undertaken
by the NSS for their upliftment;
(iv) The areas where political conflicts are likely to arise should be avoided by
the NSS units;
(v) The area should be easily accessible to the NSS volunteers to undertake frequent
visits to slums;
(vi) The working in the slum needs commitment and hard work. Only sensitive and
highly motivated NSS volunteers can find easy to serve in slum areas.
3. Coordination with Voluntary Organizations
It may be noted that the NSS unit has no financial resource to implement any programme
in the adopted villages or slum on its own. Therefore, a successful unit has to
closely coordinate with the government agencies and voluntary organisations working
in this field.
3.1 After identification of the needs of the community and the selection of projects,
the programme officer should look for the Government agency or a voluntary organisation
who can assist in the completion of a particular project. The different departments
of the Government like forest, agriculture, adult education, health, child and family
welfare, can render very useful assistance to the project pertaining to community
work. Voluntary organisations can also help in forming public opinion in favour
of NSS projects. Adult education samitis, Nasha Bandi Boards, Yuva Mandals and Mahila
Mandals can provide additional assistance to the NSS units. Similarly voluntary
land statutory welfare agencies such as Community Centres, Residential Institutions
for children/women, the Aged and Institutions for physically handicapped and disabled
can provide a wide scope of the choice of service to the NSS volunteers. NSS volunteers
can be placed with these agencies considering the inherent aptitudes and inclinations
of NSS volunteers. NSS volunteers must be told to develop a sense of belonging and
respect for the people with whom they are working. Working in close collaboration
with these agencies will help the NSS volunteers in understanding the problems of
a vulnerable section of the society. The work opportunities in the welfare institutions
may be enumerated as under-
(i) Adoption of welfare institutions and helping the inmates and staff by arranging
outings, fund collection drives, reading and writing letters for those who are unable
to do so;
(ii) propagation of the message of Swachchta, Digital Literacy, renewable energy
etc.
(iii) working for improvement of physical environment;
(iv) programme of non-formal education and general literacy classes;
(v) organisation of economic development activities;
(vi) establishment of hobby centres and
(vii) assisting in the rehabilitation work of the disabled, destitute etc.
In addition, NSS units and welfare agencies can take up joint community development
projects and other programmes of community welfare land awareness depending on the
local needs.
3.2 The NSS Programme Officers should plan activities in the adopted village or
slum in such a way that the leisure time of the NSS volunteers can be utilized in
the service of adopted village or slum. Week-end visits to the adopted areas provide
suitable opportunities to live with the community and know their problems and make
an earnest effort to do something for them. Similarly efforts should be made to
follow up the work done in the areas earlier. Such sustained efforts will flower
into friendship between the NSS unit and the community. These activities can be
arranged through one day camps and frequent visits under regular activities.