NSS merit certificate weightage of 5 marks for admission to UG courses restored after 4 years in Haryana

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, May 13

The government has decided to restore the National Service Scheme (NSS) merit certificate weightage of 5 marks for admission to under-graduate (UG) courses. It has told all government and private universities in the state and the Central University of Haryana (CUH) to implement the decision in the admissions from the coming academic session to ensure benefit of it to the NSS volunteers.

“More than 60,000 students of Class XII across the state get merit certificate in the NSS every year, so the restoration will benefit all these students. The weightage was stopped four years ago. Ever since, student unions and NSS volunteers had been demanding its restoration. Moreover, no weightage was also lowering the interest of the students towards the NSS,” said an official of the Department of Higher Education (DHE). He maintained that earlier, the weightage of 5 marks was given to the NSS merit certificate holders in the admissions not only in the UG courses but also in the PG courses, but this time, the weightage had been restored only for the UG courses following the recommendation of a committee of higher officials to consider the demands of the NSS volunteers.

“The committee, comprising Registrar, Kurukshetra University, deans (student welfare) of MD University, Rohtak and Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, principal of a government college, NSS programme coordinator of a Bhiwani college and State NSS officer, was formed a month ago. It recommended restoration of the 5-mark weightage in the admission to the UG courses,” said the official.

“As per the recommendation of the committee that was constituted for giving weightage to the NSS merit certificate-holder students, the government has decided that the additional 5 marks weightage is to be awarded to NSS merit certificate-holder students of Class XII during the admission process of the UG courses/classes from the academic session 2023-24,” reads a communiqué sent by the DHE to the Registrar of all universities.

60,000 students to benefit

More than 60,000 students of Class XII in the state get merit certificate in NSS every year, so the restoration will benefit all of them. The weightage was stopped four years ago without any valid reason. Ever since, student unions and NSS volunteers had been demanding its restoration. An official of Dept of Higher Education