Shillong (Meghalaya), May 29: Meghalaya’s National Service Scheme is set for a major overhaul with direct funding for units, formal credit for volunteer hours and wider use of digital platforms, following a consultation with Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, Secretary, Youth Affairs, Government of India.
The meeting, organized by the NSS State Cell Meghalaya at St. Anthony’s College in collaboration with the NSS Regional Directorate NER Guwahati, brought together programme officers, administrators and stakeholders to chart the scheme’s future in the North East.
Dr. Govil urged NSS units to onboard volunteers through the “My Bharat” platform and expand engagement via quizzes, essay contests and Viksit Bharat activities. She announced plans for an NSS Alumni Page to strengthen networking and long-term participation.
On funding, she stressed that financial assistance should reach units directly and be released in full and on time instead of in parts, enabling units to plan annual calendars. She said allocations will be linked to proper registration and data updates on the NSS portal.
Addressing conflicts with academic schedules under the New Education Policy, Dr. Govil said the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is working with the Ministry of Education, UGC and other stakeholders to modify curriculum frameworks for better integration of NSS activities.
She called for systematic documentation and reward of best practices and discussed incentives for volunteers and programme officers, including local awards, promotions and remuneration. The North East’s adventure camps should be revived to boost experiential learning, she said, and the NSS Manual will be revised after nationwide consultations.
The consultation also explored a credit-based system to formally recognise volunteer hours. Dr. Govil referred to the Draft National Youth Policy and highlighted proposals such as a “Personal Youth Engagement Score”, “Youth Development and Engagement Index” and “Youth Budget”, noting Meghalaya’s pioneering work in youth engagement.
Discussions further covered studies on programme officer incentives, strengthening ETI training and instituting State NSS Festivals and Awards in Meghalaya. The meeting concluded with recommendations aimed at strengthening the NSS movement and deepening community engagement through volunteerism.
