NSS

NSS in Pope’s College was introduced with only fifty men volunteers before time in 1962 by Prof. J. D. Ratnasingh (Professor of Economics), the first programme officer. It is the historical beginning of Unit No: 60. With the admission of girl students in the college it became a combined unit.

Prof. G. Vedamanickam had been the programme officer from 1977 to 1988. With gradual increase in strength of the volunteers, the unit was upgraded into a fully fledged unit with more than one hundred volunteers. Following him Dr. J. Jeyasingh served as the wonderful coordinator during 1988-2004 and Dr. D. Solomon Raj served between 2004 and 2008. In appreciation of service, Dr. Solomon Raj was awarded with the State’s Best NSS officer award in 2004. Prof. J. Johnson Asir has been serving as its active coordinator from 2008 till date.

In 1985, the first women unit of NSS (Unit No: 61) with one hundred women volunteers was introduced with Prof. A. Evangeline as the Programme Officer. Prof. C. Angeline Stella took charge of the Unit 61 in the year 1987. In appreciation of her sincere service, she was awarded State’s Best NSS Officer Award during 1990-1991 and the award was presented to her on 6.7.1992.

Following her, Dr. S. Pauline Anbuselvi served as the programme officer from 1993 to 1996; Prof. D. Kalavathy from 1996 to 1999; Prof. P. Sevarathy Grace from 1999 to 2002; Dr. R. Jothibai Margaret from 2002 to 2005 and was awarded University NSS award in 2002; Prof. S. Gunaseeli from 2005 to 2008; Dr. D. Jerry Josephine from 2008 to 2009; Prof. D. Annie Angel from 2009 to 2010; Dr. D. Rachel Annal took charge in 2010.

Dr. D. Solomonraj was the programme officer of the Unit 62 from 1990 to 1992; Prof. T. James from 1996 to 2007; Prof. S. Johnson Navamani from 2007 to 2010; Prof. R. Sellaraj Manuneethi took charge in 2010 and has been serving till date successfully.

In 2006, another new Unit (No: 185) was started and Prof. G. Jeyasudha was put in-charge as the programme officer of the unit from 2006 to 2009. Presently Prof. S. Thilaga Leelavathy has taken in- charge of the unit and has been serving from 2009 till date. Dr. Y.S. Santhi Pon Indira has also joined the team of coordinators from the year 2013.

Societal Contribution

NSS Pope’s College has contributed much to the socio-economic development of the villages in its vicinity in its own way. Its routine work consists campus cleaning, tree planting and caring for planted trees and going out in batches to educate the uneducated. It conducts Awareness Rally on the themes AIDS, Personal cleanliness, Enironment Safety, Vermicomposting, Road Safety, Voting rights, Pulse Polio and many others. It also conducts free eye camps and medical camps for the poor village people in and around Sawyerpuram. It assists the organizers of college functions in a wide variety of assignments. It cultivates leadership qualities among the volunteers. Every year annual camp is organized at a selected village located as camp site. Prior to the camp, a survey is taken to identify a list of short-term projects for execution. The last camp was held at Servaikaranmadam, a hamlet, a few miles apart.

Many villages have become beneficiaries of basic requirements due to NSS activities of Pope’s College. Here are a few samples:

Ø Drinking water facility made available to the people of Senthiambalam,

Ø Practical accounts operations in Banks, ATM and Post office taught to the people of Kakkan Nagar,

Ø Metal- road constructed for a distance of 2 km between Sawyerpuram and Thangammalpuram ,

Ø Electric power supply made available in the houses of two poor families in Kakkan Nagar,

Ø A house was constructed for a homeless orphan in Sawyerpuram and

Ø Many others.

No pause, even today, it has been playing vital role in fulfilling the needs of the poor and as a consequence the vision of the college.