Outreach Activities
National Service Scheme
Dr. Ashwini Shetty
NSS Program Coordinator
The National Service Scheme (NSS) was established in 2011 with 5 units and 500 volunteers. Currently, NSS has 50 units with 5000 volunteers wholly supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Karnataka.
The NSS unit at Yenepoya University is actively involved in various projects, emphasizing its dedication for creating a positive impact on the community. A notable achievement is the ongoing Tribal Non-Communicable Disease Screening Project in association with the Government of Karnataka. The project has reached 204 villages and screened nearly 8000 tribal community. The project was also involved in creating health awareness.
As a part of routine community engagement, 800 volunteers from 16 units actively participated in a week long Special Camp in the villages adopted by the University (Chembugudde, Ambedkar Nagar, Jokatte, Boliyar, Kalavar, Kavathar, and Sajipanadu). The activities of the camp included yoga session, awareness programs, cultural programs, and cleanliness drive of school buildings. Furthermore, NSS units organized healthcare outreach events such as blood collection drive, free health camp, and health awareness programs. Special emphasis was given to Cancer Awareness. ASHA workers were trained to spread awareness about prevention and early detection of cancer. In the adopted villages, NSS units observed commemorative days for creating awareness on AIDS, drug abuse, suicide etc.
During the year, NSS volunteers (61) participated in State and National level programs such Republic Day Parade, National Integration Camp, National Youth Festival, and G20 Youth Conclave.
The NSS units organized various programs in the University on leadership, women empowerment, personality development, yoga, and awareness on substance abuse, road safety awareness.
During year, the program officers received Best Program Officer Award from the State NSS Cell and Late Harimram Chimandas Punjabi NSS Karamveer Award from Krishna Foundation, Mumbai
The best practice of the NSS unit is to link the NSS volunteers with rural school students through the Granthamithra Project. Through this initiative, the NSS volunteers, offer coaching classes in subjects such as Mathematics and Science to the rural school students.
Rural Health Care and Development Centre
Dr. Poonam Naik
Deputy Director
The center was established in 2009. It is aimed at providing comprehensive and holistic health care to the rural community of Dakshina Kannada and neighboring districts through its 31 satellite centers located in different villages.
It executes the healthcare delivery aspects upholding the theme ‘Promotive, Preventive, and Curative domains’. The Centre could achieve a phenomenal improvement in the health care status of the targeted community. The extension activities supported participatory learning and capacity building for the students besides collaboration with local administration and NGOs.
During the year, the Center organized health awareness programs, multispecialty camps, school health checkups, blood grouping and blood sugar checkup activities. Together, there were 185 extension activities covering 18,571 beneficiaries.
The center organized 35 health awareness programs by involving 28 teachers and 38 students. These programs covered 1,850 beneficiaries. The center organized 40 multispecialty camps by involving 49 teachers and 356 students. These camps covered 4,751 beneficiaries. The Center organized 23 school health checkups by involving 23 teachers and 100 students. These programs covered 5,286 beneficiaries. The center organized 45 blood grouping activities covering 3,949 beneficiaries and 42 blood sugar checkup activities covering 2,735 beneficiaries.
Youth Red Cross
Mrs. Nithyashree B. V.
Nodal Officer
Youth Red Cross was (YRC) established at the University level in 2022 with units in all the constituent colleges. The core activities of YRC are health awareness and hygiene, leadership and communication skills, first aid in emergencies, disaster preparedness and mitigation, blood donation camps. The University has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Red Cross Society of Dakshina Kannada district for the collaborative activity.
During the academic year 2022-23, YRC conducted various programs involving observation of commemorative days (5), blood donation drives (3), a Swachatha Abhiyaan, a Swach Sagar program, 12 batches of Youth Red Cross volunteers internship at Red Cross help desk, Wenlock District Hospital Mangaluru D.K., three first aid training program for Youth Red Cross Volunteers, one first responder training, two senior professional first aid certificate training program for Program officers and faculty and disaster management training, one State level Intercollegiate competition for drawing, elocution and quiz, a district level street play competition on cancer awareness. A total of 500 students and 25 teachers participated in these programs.
During the year, the constituent college units received 3 honors for their outreach work. Yenepoya Dental College unit won 1st prize and Yenepoya Nursing College unit won 3rd prize from the Indian Red Cross Society for the ‘internship at the Indian Red Cross helpdesk at the Wenlock district hospital, Mangalore’. Furthermore, Yenepoya Nursing College was honored by the Youth Red Cross Society, Dakshina Kannada branch as the ‘District level best performing Youth Red Cross Unit for the year 2021-22’.
