Nitish Hemrom
President Droupadi Murmu has honoured two students from Ranchi University with the National Service Scheme Award. Diwakar Anand of Doranda College and Deeksha Kumari of Women’s College were recognised for their outstanding contribution to social service and community awareness.
Both students represented Jharkhand at the national level and were chosen for their leadership and commitment to public welfare. Their selection has brought pride to the state. With this, Ranchi University’s total number of students honoured with the national NSS award has reached three so far.
Jharkhand has a strong presence in the National Service Scheme and ranks among the top ten states in terms of participation. Nearly 58,000 volunteers are active across different universities and colleges, including Ranchi University, Vinoba Bhave University and Sido-Kanhu Murmu University. Ranchi alone has 102 NSS units with more than 10,000 volunteers engaged in various developmental activities.
Under the NSS, students are enrolled for a two-year term and must attend a seven-day special camp in rural areas. The selected villages are adopted as NSS Gram, where volunteers take part in cleanliness drives, tree plantation, blood donation, health check-ups and education awareness programmes.
In Jharkhand, NSS volunteers have played a vital role in implementing government programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, Swachh Bharat Mission and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. These activities are coordinated through the national NSS headquarters under the direction of the central and state governments.
So far, 15 NSS cadets from Jharkhand have received the President’s Award. The recognition of Diwakar Anand and Deeksha Kumari this year again highlights the growing impact of Jharkhand’s youth in community development and social work.
Participation in NSS helps students learn teamwork, leadership and empathy. Many of them later take up roles in education, health, social work and public administration. The state NSS coordinator said that youth are the true strength of the nation and that their service contributes directly to social change.
From rural areas to university campuses, the NSS movement in Jharkhand has become a symbol of youth-driven change. It continues to inspire students to work among people and make a real difference in society.