8TH INDIRA GANDHI N.S.S. AWARDS GIVEN AWAY
The Minister
for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Vikram Verma gave away 8th
Indira Gandhi National Service Awards here today. Twenty four
Awards – two University Level Awards, to University of Agricultural
Sciences Dharwad and Osmania University, Hyderabad; six Programme
Officer/Unit Awards and sixteen Volunteer Awards – were given
to N.S.S. functionaries.
Speaking
on the occasion, the Minister emphasized the need of community
participation for over all development of society. Pointing to
the unemployment, particularly among youths in rural areas which
is causing migration towards cities, he said, N.S.S. can play
a big role to create opportunities for employment there itself.
N.S.S. provides an opportunity to see and face the reality of
life. He expressed hope that schools, colleges and universities
will realize the importance of N.S.S. and make such programmes
to channelise the energy of youths towards nation building and
social welfare.
The Department
of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India has instituted
the Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme (N.S.S.) Awards in 1993-1994,
the Silver Jubilee year of N.S.S. These Awards are given every
year to recognize the exemplary voluntary services rendered by
N.S.S. volunteers, Programme Officers and Universities.
N.S.S. was
started on 24th September, 1969 and today it has more
than 1.9 million student youth volunteers spreaded over 176 Universities
and 22 school level councils (+2 level). N.S.S. has in its fold
more than 8,500 colleges, institutions of higher learning and
+2 level schools. This is the biggest youth organisation in the
world sponsored by the Government of India. It has added the third
dimension to our two dimensional and traditional education systems,
which was confined to only teaching and research.
