Adoption of a village and area is a very meaningful programme in NSS.  It is far better to concentrate attention on one village and take up the task for development perspective, than to fritter away energy in many locations involving too many activities which may not be completed at all or where the follow up action may not be possible.  From this point of view, village adoption programme should ensure continuity of work vis-à-vis sustained action, evaluation and follow up work.

As a first step in this programme, it is necessary to establishcontact with several village and rural units which would help to select a village where' Leadership' is well developed. In other words selected a village with proper leadership is all the more important as the sustained follow up acton and evaluation is doubly assured. To start with the NSS Unit can take the help of the Block Authorities, District Panchayat Officer, District Tribal Welfare Officer, D.M.O. and D.H.C. and District Agriculture, Irrigation and Education Officers for the selection of the village. It is to be noted that the village selected should be within a short distance from the college so that there could be constant touch with it.

Before the programme and plan of action is drawn, it is absolutely necessary to conduct a comprehensive survey of a few villages situated at a short distance from the college. The assistance and aid from the teachers and students of Economics, Commerce, Statistics, Home Science, Psychology and Education etc-. have to be mobilized for the purpose.

On the basis of said survey the programme so prepared should cater for better agricultural, educational, socio-medical and health-care and awareness among the villagers. Thus the village adoption programme could be carried out by the following three combination :

(i) Programme wich can be taken up without NSS resources.
(ii) Programme requiring joint efforts of NSS volunteers and villagers.
(iii) Programme requiring involvement of out-side organisation both voluntary and governmental.

Adoption of Slums

Most of the colleges and universities are usually located in the urban areas.  Due to long distance between the college campuses and the villages, the visits to the adopted villages by the NSS volunteers may become expensive and time consuming.  In view of this, it is desirable to adopt slum especially by colleges located in urban areas.

Some of the tasks which the students can engage in slum areas are as under :

(a) As community investigators : They can prepare brief community profiles on various slums in the city or town on different amenities, services and living conditions; etc.

(b) As community Workers : They can identify local leaders and in cooperation with them discuss local problems on which cooperatives action can be undertaken.

(c) As programme Aids : Students can help the local community in launching a number of programmes, like organising a free milk distribution  centre, sanitation drive, recreation, adult and primary education, health care and nutrition classes, free legal aid centres etc. They can also help in forming youth  clubs children groups, mehila mandals etc.

(d) As community Association Organisers : NSS students after establishing report with the slum dwellers, can organise community associations to take local problems on a group basis with reliance on local resources, self help and mutual aid with some minimum external assistance.