Page 114 - GHES-3-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
COVID-19 and youth volunteering in India

to prioritize the well-being of others. The healthcare sector Furthermore, the Aarogya Setu app delivers pertinent
encountered significant obstacles, hindering progress in and curated medical advice concerning the COVID-19
medical advancements and placing a heavy burden on pandemic.
healthcare providers. As a result, the primary approach The Moreover, NSS volunteers educated 2.34 million
to controlling the virus’s transmission revolved around people on creating homemade face masks and distributed
implementing strict precautionary measures, including these masks across nearly all districts. To aid various
lockdowns. During this challenging period, volunteer services and manage crowds in locations such as banks,
groups and non-governmental organizations played a hospitals, grain distribution centers, and vegetable
crucial role in supporting vulnerable populations by markets, district administrations enlisted 127,078 NSS
providing essential resources such as home-cooked meals, volunteers and 36,242 NSS staff. Furthermore, Mandal
medications, and oxygen cylinders to those affected by the (2023) observed that NSS volunteers took the initiative
pandemic. Migrant workers, particularly those in informal to deliver essential items such as groceries, prepared
employment, were among the most impacted by these meals, medications, oxygen cylinders, fuel, and other
circumstances. necessary supplies directly to individuals’ homes during
However, it is important to note that the visibility of the lockdown, putting their own lives at risk.
NSS volunteers was limited during this crisis, likely due However, despite their commendable efforts, the
to their ties to educational institutions, which were among contributions of the NSS volunteers received limited
the first to feel the effects of the lockdowns. Nevertheless, coverage in daily newspapers, television, and social
NSS volunteers swiftly adapted to the new circumstances, media, which diminished the recognition of their
especially by utilizing online platforms to share advice and work. In addition, despite high expectations, the NSS
recommendations. The NSS website emerged as a crucial struggled to respond effectively during the pandemic
tool for accessing information and support during the due to administrative hurdles, severity of the outbreak,
pandemic. Despite initial hurdles, the collaborative efforts and inadequate medical infrastructure, compounded
of individuals and organizations significantly alleviated by political factors. The organization’s on-site assistance
the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and offered essential was also limited, contributing to reduced visibility of
assistance to those in need. volunteers on the field. While online suggestions were
The Activity Report on NSS Volunteers’ Services made, the overall organizational response did not meet
(Directorate of NSS, 2021) highlights their exceptional the urgent needs of the situation. Notably, despite the
contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals hard work of NSS volunteers, their response during the
that NSS volunteers engaged in numerous initiatives, crisis lacked a systematic framework, particularly in
including raising awareness about the virus, collecting linking individuals with necessary resources; their focus
samples, and assisting patients while adhering to social was primarily on providing welfare interventions rather
distancing measures. These committed volunteers than adopting a developmental approach. It is especially
facilitated access to essential food supplies for quarantined vital to equip NSS volunteers with adequate training
individuals. The total number of NSS volunteers involved and resources (Ding et al., 2022) to sustainably support
in disaster response reached an impressive 801,000, with their future activities, such as the promotion of safety,
an additional 790,000 volunteers recruited to broaden protection, and vaccination awareness; use of referral
their national impact. At least 1.38 million NSS volunteers services (Roy et al., 2022); networking with likeminded
received important training through the iGOT Portal, organizations; information dissemination through social
and they significantly influenced a further 5.29 million media and helplines; and writing case histories.
individuals to download the Aarogya Setu app (Kaur, A, 6. Youth volunteerism, social work, and
2020). Aarogya Setu is a mobile application developed
to provide individuals with information regarding their SDG 2030
potential risk of contracting COVID-19. Introduced by Volunteerism among young people has been a topic of
the Government of India on April 2, this application seeks significant policy attention in India since the beginning
to protect Indian citizens from the extensive spread of of the 21 century. This attention has been driven by
st
the coronavirus. By employing a Bluetooth-based contact concerns about the decline of civil society and sense of
tracing mechanism, the app records interactions users social responsibility and citizenship, as well as changes in
have had with others throughout their daily routines. community and family life (Gaskin, 2004). The focus has
Should any of these contacts receive a positive COVID-19 been on the concept of “volunteering” rather than “unpaid
diagnosis; the application will notify the user accordingly. work,” with an emphasis on three core elements: the work

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 106 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4717