National Service Scheme, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Govt. of India, popularly known as NSS was launched in Gandhiji’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.

The broad objectives of NSS are to :

• Understand the commuity in which they work.
• Understand themselves in relation to their community.
• Identify the needs and problems of the community and involve them in problem solving process.
• Develop among themselves a sense of social and civic responsibility.
• Utilise their knowledge in finding practical solution to individual and community problems.
• Develop competence required for group-living and sharing of responsibilities.
• Gain skills in mobilising community participation.
• Aquire leadership qualities and democratic attitude.
• Develop capacity to meet emergencies and natural disasters.
• Practice national integration and social harmony.