President Presents National NSS Awards 2019-20; Two From Odisha Among 42 Awardees

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday presented the National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for 2019-20 in a virtual ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, here.

The President President conferred the awards on 42 awardees in different categories including university/Plus II Councils, NSS units and their programme officers and NSS Volunteers.

Bikram Bisoi and Janmejay Giri of Odisha received the awards in Volunteers’ category on the occasion.

Bikram, an NSS volunteer of Institute of Media Studies in Bhubaneshwar, is involved in social work in the adopted village of the college. He has organised health awareness programmes in the areas near Chilka Lake. Under his initiative, several camps have been organised to examine suspected HIV patients to help them get proper treatment.

He has also organised awareness programmes through cycle rally and street play on protection of migratory birds. He organised legal awareness programmes in Balugaon to inculcate values of equality and gender sensitisation.

He took initiative for providing equipment like tricycle, hearing aid, blind stick,
wheelchair in liaison with block administration to the differently abled people. He has also worked among the fishermen families for promotion of education and admission of school drop-outs. He has been conferred with state and district level awards as Best NSS Volunteer.

Janrnejay, an NSS Volunteer of Seemanta Mahavidyalaya at Jharpokharia in Mayurbhanj district has rendered his services in the adopted tribal dominated village of his college.

With help from the NSS unit, he has brought significant improvement in basic facilities in the village such as drinking water, heath facilities, literacy rate and tree plantation. He also participated in promotion of various Central schemes such as Ujjwala Yojåna, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojana and awareness on renewable energy. He has received the university level Best NSS Volunteer Award 2020 and college level Best NSS Volunteer Award 2019.

The President said he was happy to note that NSS volunteers are contributing to the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrated across the country on the occasion of 75th year of Independence.

He noted that during the initial outbreak of COVI-19, till the mass production of masks started, more than 2.30 crore masks were made by NSS and distributed in various parts of country. The NSS volunteers also provided COVID related information to people through helpline as well as helped district administrations in the awareness and relief activities.

Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik also attended the function.