National Students' Union Of India: NSUI, History, Ideology, Campaigns

National Students' Union of India Overview 

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) is the oldest student organization in India, with a history spanning over 50 years. It was established on April 9th, 1971, and is the student wing of the Congress Party. NSUI defines its ideology as centric to Indian Nationalism, Secularism, and Social Democracy. In order to create a nationwide student organization, Indira Gandhi combined the West Bengal State Chhatra Parishad and the Kerala Students' Union, and hence the NSUI was formed. The National Students' Union of India is abbreviated as NSUI. It is the Indian National Congress party's student branch. It aspires to shape future leaders for the country as well as organize and inspire students to work towards the accomplishment of the Indian National Congress's objectives. Its purpose is to inspire students to become responsible citizens and leaders by instilling in them values such as democracy, secularism, liberty, quality, and equality.

National Students' Union of India Highlights

The following table gives details about the National Students' Union of India- 

What is the National Students' Union of India?

The NSUI is the National Students' Union of India, an association which aims to organize students across universities in India. Over the years, student unions have played a crucial role in shaping democracy by mobilizing large numbers of students who use their collective voice as leverage to press demands and influence policy making. Over 40 lakh people are members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), and there are about 15,000 colleges. Neeraj Kundan serves as the president of the National Students' Union of India. NSUI seeks to uphold the rights of the student body and develop the next generation of leaders.

History of National Students' Union of India 

The importance of students in the struggle has already been shown by our country's freedom movement. In 1954, Atulya Ghosh and Bidhan Chandra Ray founded the "West Bengal Chhatra Parishad" to include students in the construction of modern India. Vayalar Ravi is advancing the same cause in Kerala by establishing the "Kerala Students' Union." Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji, the Hon'ble Former Prime Minister, founded the National Students' Union of India in 1971 by combining KSU and WBCP after realizing the significant role the student community had played in fostering nationalism through the promotion of human rights, the empowerment of women, the preservation of democratic spaces, social justice, and freedom of speech.

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Ideology of National Students' Union of India 

The National Students' Union of India strives to protect the rights of the student body while developing the next generation of leaders. Additionally, NSUI seeks to develop a sense of nationalism in Indian youth while shaping them into aware citizens. 

The core values of NSUI are-

1. Nationalism
2. Inclusive Development
3. Social Justice
4. Democracy
5. Secularism

Structure of National Students' Union of India 

It is divided into four levels. Members are organised at the ground level through educational institutions where they are enrolled. The Electoral College elects officials at the district and state levels (office bearers at the college level). Secret ballot elections are held at the college, district, and state levels to create committees. National office bearers are chosen from a pool of elected officials. The NSUI National Executive Committee is made up of NOBs and State Presidents. It is the organization's primary administrative body. At the national level, the NSUI has the following administrative structures-

1. National Office Bearers
2. Central Election Authority (CEA)
3. Social Media Team

College beneficiaries are arranged according to the organizational institutes to which they belong at the most fundamental level of the NSUI system. Additionally, the college level office holders appoint the district or state level office holders. At the state, district, and college levels, committees are selected in an anonymous manner. A committee of distinguished state residents elects the national-level bearers, while the district elects the bearers. 

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National Students' Union of India Eligibility Criteria

Rahul Gandhi introduced an open membership procedure in 2007 to increase transparency within the NSUI. Members of NSUI are categorized into "Primary Members" and "Active Members." As a result, following the National Student Union of India's recruitment process, a person who wishes to join the National Students' Union of India will join as a primary member.

 To become a member of NSUI, the aspiring candidate must fulfill the following criteria-

1. The applicant's age cannot exceed 27 years old for the NSUI position.
2. The applicant must be an Indian national.
3. The candidate must not be a member of any other political organization.
4. Students must not have a history of criminal behavior in order to join.

Code of Ethics for National Union of Students' Union of India

The following are the some of the code of conduct for national students' union of India- 

1. The organization's rules, procedures, and processes must be followed by all officeholders and members.
2. Members will not take advantage of their organizational position, influence, or membership for personal or financial benefit.
3. Members shall refrain from the anti-party activity and will constantly seek to safeguard the organization's integrity.
4. Members and office bearers will not create or affiliate with any other student group.
5. Members will refrain from using violence, immoral behavior, or bad language.
6. Members will not discriminate against anybody on the basis of caste, language, religion, gender, or any other factor.
7. Members will not engage in any illegal, anti-social, or anti-national action.
8. Dowry, female foeticide, and child marriage are among the societal evils that the members oppose.

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National Students' Union of India Other Websites

The following are some of the website links related to National Students' Union of India-

1. National Students' Union of India official site  
2. Official All India Congress Committee website
3. Official Indian National Congress website

Campaigns led by National Students' Union of India

The National Students' Union of India periodically launches a variety of initiatives to draw attention to our nation's shortcomings. The goal of NSUI is to educate the public about issues that could be overlooked on an ordinary day.

The actions made by the members of the Nation Students' Union are-

I am the Change

The “I Am the Change” campaign strives to stop child labour and give children equitable learning opportunities. The members of NSUI launched this effort to inspire people and raise awareness of the challenges that the underprivileged face when it comes to obtaining an education. Anyone who wants to make a difference in someone's present and future can volunteer for the I Am the Change campaign on the weekends for three months.

Behtar Bharat

In this initiative, NSUI members strive to create a "Better India" (Behrat Bharat). The following is a list of some of Behtar Bharat's objectives with an equal opportunities for everyone-

1. Make education and work more women-friendly.
2. Access to quality and affordable higher education.
3. End bias for non-English speaking students.
4. Revisit the education system.
5. Bring the number of dropouts down.
6. To maintain the non-negotiable rights of the students studying in schools and colleges.
7. The goal of education is employment.
8. Career counseling, so the youth is fully aware of the plethora of options.

Take the Pledge

Many people are unaware of their own influence and voice in national decision-making. NSUI encourages people to declare their intention to join the acting ruling party through the Take the Pledge campaign. The National Students' Union of India is running a campaign that says, "If you don't vote, you lose the right to complain."

Pehli Peedhi

"First is the meaning of Pehli Peedhi. If one considers education to be a privilege, the members of NSUI provide a forum to share the journey. Additionally, volunteers can use the Pehli Peedhi platform to express their ideas and inspire others to take the initial step.

Young Women Leadership Program

The NSUI acknowledges that women are much more than just moms, wives, and daughters through the Young Women Leadership Program. Therefore, NSUI seeks to recognise the genuine potential of young women in the nation and mould them into future leaders.

Rivals of NSUI of India (ABVP)

The All India Students' Council, also known as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), is a right-wing student organization in India that is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a group that advocates Hindu nationalism (RSS). With more than 3 million participants, it is the biggest student organization in India. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is the rival of NSUI.

The RSS leader Balraj Madhok spearheaded the establishment of the ABVP, which was officially registered on July 9, 1949. When it was first established, its goal was to combat communist influence on college campuses. By 1974, the ABVP had 790 campuses with 160,000 members, and it had won student elections to take control of several prestigious universities, including the University of Delhi. The organization had 1,100 branches and 250,000 members by 1983. After the United Progressive Alliance took office in 2003, it continued to expand, tripling in size to 3.175 million members by 2016. It calls itself the biggest student organization in India.