Bharat Seva Samaj

Bharat Sevak Samaj (BSS) is the National Development Agency promoted by the Planning Commission, Government of India to ensure public Co-operation for implementing government plans. The main purpose behind the formation of Bharat Sevak Samaj is to initiate a nationwide, non-official and non-political organization with the object of enabling individual citizens to contribute, in the form of an organized co-operative effort, to the implementation of the National Development plan. The contribution and functioning of Bharat Sevak Samaj is approved unanimously by the Indian Parliament.

References about BHARAT SEVAK SAMAJ is available Government of India Planning Commision’s official

The constitution of the Bharat Sevak Samaj and the National Advisory Committee for Public Cooperation in August 1952, are important preliminary steps recently taken for securing public cooperation on a nationwide basis. The National Advisory Committee, which is representative of different sections of opinion in the country, is expected to:

1. Review and assess the programs of public co-operation in relation to national development ;
2. Advise the Planning Commission from time to time regarding the progress of public co-operation in relation to the fulfillment of the National Plan ;
3. Receive reports from the Central Board of the Bharat Sevak Samaj and consider such specific matters as may be referred to it for advice by the Central Board ;and
4. Make suggestions and recommendations to the Central Board of the Bharat Sevak Samaj on matters of policy and on programs relating to public operations.

The Bharat Sevak Samaj has been conceived of as a non-political and non-official national platform for constructive work. The primary objects of the Samaj are to find and develop avenues of voluntary service for the citizens of India, to promote national sufficiency and build up the economic strength of the country, to promote the social well-being of the community and to mitigate the privations and hardships of its less favored sections; and to draw out the available unused time, energy and other resources of the people and direct them into various fields of social and economic activity.

The professions are manned by personnel from the universities which have, in turn, a unique contribution to make towards national development. It is being increasingly realised that State policy is adequate in the degree in which it is based upon constructive thought and on ascertained facts. It is precisely in these fields that the universities should be the torch-bearers. The Plan contemplates arrangements for co-operative research between the government and the universities. The sphere of public activity is steadily increasing and, therefore, the influence of thought and study in the universities should greatly increase. For much of its new personnel, the government has to turn to universities. The decline in the standards of education in recent years, which has been marked by many observers, is as much a matter of concern to the community as it is a challenge to the leaders in different fields of university education. The universities could strengthen their position as agencies for public co-operation by establishing extension departments and by developing field work programmes as part of their training courses.

The work of the Samaj, which is being undertaken on a nationwide scale, is at present in the initial stages of its organization. The Bharat Sevak Samaj provides a common platform for all who wish to give their share of time and energy to developing the people’s own effort in relation to the National Plan and, at the same time, it is intended to assist in the development of existing voluntary organizations.