National Service Scheme

The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government sector public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India aimed at developing the personality and civic responsibility of student volunteers through community service. With the motto "Not Me But You," it engages millions of students in higher education institutions and senior secondary schools across the country in regular and special camping activities focused on education, health, environment, disaster relief, and social welfare. Launched as a pilot in 1969 across 37 universities with 40,000 volunteers, NSS has grown to encompass over 39,000 units and approximately 3.6 to 4.3 million active volunteers in recent years, with more than 47.8 million students having participated since inception.