NSS volunteers undertake various activities in adopted villages and slums for community service.  During of these services is 120 hours.  The NSS units organise the regular activities as details below :

(i) Orientation of NSS volunteers : To get the NSS volunteers acquainted with the basics of NSS programmes, 20  hours are allocated for their orientation through lectures, discussions, field visits, and audio-visuals etc.

(ii) Campus work : The NSS volunteers may be involved in the projects undertaken for the benefit of the institution and students concerned.  Such projects cover development of play grounds, laying of gardens, three plantation in the premises, awareness programmes on drug-abuse, AIDS, population education and other projects.  The NSS volunteers may work on campus projects for not exceeding 30 hours in a year ;

(iii) The remaining 70 hours will be utilised for community service on the projects in adopted villages / urban slums independently or in collaboration with others in this field, as detailed below.

(a) Institutional work : The students any be placed with selected voluntary organisations working for the welfare of women, children, aged and disabled outside the campus.

(b) Rural Project : The rural projects generally include the working of NSS volunteers in adopted villages for eradication of illiteracy, watershed management and wasteland development, agricultural operations, health, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, mother and child care, family life education, gender justice, development of rural cooperatives, savings drives, construction of rural roads, campaign against social evils etc.

(c) Urban projects : In addition to rural projects other include adult education, welfare of slum dwellers, training in civil defence, traffic control, setting up first-aid posts, work in hospitals, orphanages, destitute home, environment, population education, drug, AIDS awareness, and income generation projects etc. Professional and technical ' institutions having NSS may have to design appropriate programmes for the community based on the needs.

(d) Natural calamities & National Emergencies : The NSS units are expected to utilise the services of NSS volunteers at the time of natural calamities and national emergencies for mobilising public support and rendering necessary assistance to the authorities in rescue, relief and rehabilitation.  In such emergencies and calamities the Programme Officers are expected to take the initiative and offer the services of the NSS units and its volunteers to assist the administration. 

(e) National Days and Celebrations : The National  Service Scheme programmes also include the celebration of National days.  The purpose of such a provision is to celebrate such occasions in a befitting manner. 

National Programmes : In the development perspective of any nation, certain programmes assumes special relevance in view of problems existing or anticipated.  In our country, three such programmes have been launched.  They are the Mass Programme of Functional Literacy, AIDS Awareness Programme and Sustainable development with emphasis on Watershed Management & Wasteland Development.  It is pertinent to mention here that NSS Volunteers have come forward with zeal to make these programmes a great success

NSS Regular activities in adopted villages, slums and with Voluntary Organisations 

   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.

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.

Coordination with Voluntary Organisations

  It may be noted that the NSS unit has no financial resource to implement any programme in the adopted villages or slum on its own.  Therefore, a successful unit has to closely coordinate with the government agencies and voluntary organisations working in this filed.

  After identification of the needs of the community and the selection of projects, the programme officer should look for the Govt. agency or a voluntary organisation who can assist in the completion of a particular project. The different departments of the Govt. like forest, agriculture, adult education, health, child and family welfare, can render very useful assistance to the project pertaining to community work.  Voluntary organisations can also help in forming public opinion in favour of NSS projects.  Adult education samitis, Nasha Bandi Boards, Yuva Mandals and Mahila Mandals can provide additional assistance to the NSS units.  Similarly voluntary and statutory welfare agencies such as Community Centers, Residential Institutions for Children / Women, the Aged and Institutions for physically handicapped and disabled can provide a wide scope of the choice of service to the NSS volunteers.  NSS volunteers can be placed with these agencies considering the inherent aptitudes and inclinations of NSS volunteers.  NSS volunteers must be told to develop a sense of belonging & respect for the people with whom they are working.  Working in close collaboration with these agencies will help the NSS volunteers in understanding the problems of a vulnerable section of the society.  The work opportunities in the welfare institutions may be enumerated as under:-

(i) Adoption of welfare institutions and helping the inmates and staff by arranging outings, fund collection drives, reading and writing letters for those who are unable to do so.
(ii) Propagation of the message of small family norms, health education, small savings drives etc;
(iii) Working for improvement of physical environment ;
(iv) Programme of non-formal education and general literacy classes;
(v) Organisation of economic development activities ;
(vi) Establishment of hobby centres and
(vii) ssisting in the rehabilitation work of the disabled, destitute etc.

Day Camps

Some universities have informed that NSS volunteers fail to complete the prescribed 120 hours in social work under NSS programme due to disturbance caused to academic session.  It was therefore suggested that NSS units  may be allowed to organise day camps to complete the prescribed  120 hours of NSS regular work.  These camps of 8 hours duration may be organised on week-ends and holidays.  They may do the community work for 16 hours in 2 consecutive days.  Expenditure not exceeding Rs.8/- per head per day may be incurred towards refreshment and transport expenses out of college /+2 level NSS regular activity grants meant for the development of programme.  Such camps can be organised selectively when felt necessary in consultation with the Principals of the Institutions.