The National Service Scheme (NSS) – State of Voluntary Labour (Shramdan) and University Extension Services

The National Service Scheme (NSS), established in 1969, is the largest government-sponsored student youth organisation in the world. With an enrolment of over 4 million student volunteers, the scheme engages them in a range of service activities that benefit the community and enhance the social perception of the volunteers. Although it is a part of the higher education system in the country, it shuns ‘elitism’ and promotes voluntary labour (shramdan) to uphold the principle of ‘dignity of labour'. This article analyses the role of the NSS in connecting the campus to the community and the social work component in it and seeks to find out the reasons for the decline of shramdan activities in its scheme. It shall also be the endeavour of the paper to visualise the future of the programme in the wake of changed priorities and far-reaching changes. This article draws on research articles, government reports and documents, and a vast number of NSS annual reports of colleges and universities.