SHILLONG: The Khasi Students Union (KSU) central executive council has written to the Deputy Directorof Higher and Technical Education to reconsider engaging NSS volunteers for emergency engagement in tackling COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to the Deputy Director, B.D. Cajee, the union though appreciated the steps taken by the state government to combat COVID-19 pandemic, expressed its apprehension that engaging students for such a task would be unsafe and risky.
The KSU maintained that the NSS volunteers were only students who are not trained to handle and tackle such a situation and the health of these students will be under threat.
The Union also said that most of the institutions were compelling the NSS students to volunteer for the COVID pandemic so that such institutions could take the credit and recognition later and as such the NSS students are not free to take an independent decision whether to volunteer for such a task or not.
The union further said that there had been no definite task or guidelines laid down as to what NSS volunteers were supposed to do or be engaged for. The Union further opined that consent of parents/guardians of NSS students must be taken before engaging their sons/daughters/wards in the combat against COVID-19 pandemic.