Abstract:

Undergraduate learners in India are generally at their later adolescent age with a biologically completely developed brain , just ready to mould their attitude, personality and skills in accordance with the type of exposure given to them. This particular juncture of their life span is a perfect raw material to be converted into a skilled person to face all the challenges of life. Life skills are the skills needed for life such as communication, decision making, thinking, managing emotions, assertiveness, self esteem building, resisting peer pressure and relationship skills, etc. These are the abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to lead effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. But unfortunately in India undergraduate courses are only knowledge based with hardly any scope for development of life skills.

National Service Scheme(NSS) is a scheme initiated by Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in collaboration of state governments, running in most of the government universities of India. It started in birth centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi on 24thSeptember 1969 with the objective of personality development of youth through community services. In this scheme, undergraduate students are involved in various activities like social awareness on current issues such as environmental awareness, health issues, woman & child welfare, awakening villagers and downtrodden, etc. Special camps like national integration camp, adventure camps, mega summer camps, republic day parade camps, etc. are organized for the personality development of students. Camp activities consist of various physical, mental, social, cultural activities. Students are involved in group activities, discussion, brain storming activities, etc.

In this study about 150 students from 13 state universities of Uttar Pradesh were taken who attended a 7 day special Model national integration camp. After the camp the students were asked to fill the questionnaire about their perception of the camp in their life skill development process. Findings were very encouraging as exhibited from the responses given by students, that such camps as apart of NSS activities do play a prominent role in developing various life skills in undergraduate learners.

Keywords:

Life Skills, Undergraduate learner, National Service Scheme (NSS).