The Oasis English Press sat down with Prachita Pande, the Coordinator of the National Service Scheme (NSS), to gain insight into the club’s preparations for Oasis ‘26.

Prachita started off by stating that the club’s main objective was to give back to society, and to that end the club hosted many non-profit programmes throughout the year. Among these were “Junoon”—a pre-BOSM sports competition, and “Shop for a Smile”—the club’s flagship Oasis event. The club was also in charge of organising one of the largest blood donation camps in India in collaboration with the Red Cross Society in New Delhi. During APOGEE, the club hosted an Old Notebook Collection Drive (ONCD) with social service clubs from colleges all over India taking part.

Prachita explained that the club began its preparatory work a month prior to the beginning of the fest. This involved contacting several NGOs for the proper exchange of related materials and evidence, and overseeing the allocation of funds. These NGOs comprised those the club had already been in contact with for the past five years or so, as well as new ones that brought in a fresh element of community service to Pilani. According to Prachita, the only major setback was the possibility of receiving damaged couriers inadvertently sent by said NGOs.

For this year’s installment of Oasis, Prachita elaborated that the club was readying itself for yet another edition of “Shop for a Smile”—an event aimed at empowering the under-represented women and specially-abled children of Pilani. This thoughtful initiative involved selling handmade items such as handbags made of jute and recycled paper on campus and donating the proceeds to the craftspeople.

When asked about how the hundred large cohort of NSS members coordinated with each other, Prachita took pride in the camaraderie between the club members, adding that weekly sessions instilled a sense of belonging within them. The club members also worked together to educate the underprivileged children of Pilani for one to two hours a day—building meaningful connections in the process.

On a parting note, Prachita expressed her gratitude for the relentless support the club received from the Faculty in-Charge—Dr Meghana Tare, and urged the General Body Members (GBM) to continue supporting the club’s initiatives by bettering the community and helping out wherever possible.