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On September 24, President of India, Draupadi Murmu, presented to 30 NSS volunteers from across the country the NSS Awards for the year 2020-21.
Among the recipients of the prestigious award was Jammu University’s NSS volunteer Srishti Koul, who has been active in social services from her college times and has worked immensely during the COVID pandemic period to create awareness on “menstrual health of slum women”.
“I was so pained to see the condition of slum women during COVID period in my locality, Naseeb Nagar in the Janipur area. Due to restrictions outside, they were using pads made of used clothes, which were not healthy for them,” Srishti told The Rising Kashmir.
“So, with the help of Seva Foundation and People’s Hut Foundation, I sensitised them about the importance of menstrual health through NukkadNataks and street art,” Srishti further said.
“After sensitisation, we distributed among the slum women the sanitary napkins and other useful items which helped them immensely,” she added.
Born and brought up in Jammu’s Janipur area, Srishti has also achieved the unique feat of becoming the first girl from Jammu and Kashmir to have received the prestigious award.
“All the previous recipients of the NSS Awards from Jammu and Kashmir were men. I am the first woman to have received this award,” Srishti Koul told The Rising Kashmir.
The 24-year-old now Indian Institute of Mass Communication’s Advertising and PR student, Srishti passed her higher secondary classes from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Rehari. Thereafter, she completed her graduation in science stream from Government PG College (Women) Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
“After registering myself as an NSS volunteer in college, I started participating in various programmes organised by the NSS unit including, plantation drives, blood donation and eye-check camps among other programmes. Gradually I developed an interest in social works,” she said.
Later, in the year 2019, Srishti cracked the Jammu University Entrance Test (JUET) and got admission in the Chemistry Department. During her university period, she represented India in the 6th BRICS Youth Summit 2020 held in Fortaleza and Brasília, Brazil and several other national and international events based on culture, geography and economy of the region.
A former participant of National Youth Parliament, Srishti has been awarded with the NSS Award for her contribution in social services including plantation drives, menstrual awareness among the slum children, blood donation, awareness on POCSO Act, gender sensitization, adult literacy among other services. She has also promoted various government schemes such as Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Cashless India, Digital Literacy and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme.(RK)
