A five-day North East National Service Scheme (NSS) Festival began today at the NEHU Shillong campus here.
The event was inaugurated by Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan on the theme of ‘Celebrate Bondings’. Also present was Education Minister Rakkm A Sangma.
The festival, which is being held from June 19 to 23, is organised by NEHU’s NSS cell, and the state NSS cell in collaboration with the Regional Directorate of NSS, Guwahati and Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The event aims at bringing together youth from all the eight North East states on one platform to facilitate an exchange of ideas and spur interaction, which, in turn, will lead to a strong bonding and appreciation of the different cultures of the region. Thirty NSS volunteers from each state are participating in the festival.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor focused on the importance of the contribution of the youth in nation building and stressed on the need for them to devote time to social and community service as a part of their educational experience.
Pointing out that the benefits of India’s economic progress have not yet fully reached the thousands of villages where crores of citizens live, Chauhan said that to correct this discrepancy, volunteers can make an important contribution in spreading awareness among the people about the developmental schemes of the central and state governments and work towards inclusive development.
Speaking about Mission LiFE Scheme, the Governor informed that the NSS and UNICEF India are working in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to increase the participation of youth and children in cultivating an environmentally conscious lifestyle, with the aim of developing and empowering them to realize their full potential and contribute in the process of nation building.
Meanwhile, Sangma reiterated the importance of NSS volunteers in national integration. Urging the volunteers to stay true to the principles and motto of the NSS, he said that the volunteers can become future leaders of the country.
The NSS was launched in 1969, the birth centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi, in 37 universities involving 40,000 students. Today the strength of the NSS has grown to 39 lakh volunteers actively involved in organising activities for the benefit of the society, in areas of education, literacy, health, family welfare, nutrition, sanitation, environmental protection, social service programs, improving the status of women, campaigns against production-oriented social evils and digital India.
Others who spoke on the occasion included NEHU Vice-Chancellor PS Shukla, and NSS Regional Director Dipak Kumar.
