The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, commenced its two-week online Short Term Internship (OSTI) program. Eighty university-level students from diverse academic disciplines, representing 21 States and Union Territories, were selected from a pool of 1,795 applicants. The program aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of human rights promotion and protection within India. NHRC Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, encouraged the students to act as ambassadors of justice, equality, and dignity, emphasizing India's constitutional framework. The curriculum includes lectures, group projects, book reviews, a declamation competition, and virtual tours of institutions like Tihar Jail. The program is coordinated by Lt. Col Virender Singh and seeks to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address human rights challenges.
Key Entities Referenced
National Human Rights Commission: A human rights organization in India, also referred to as NHRC, India.
NHRC, India: Abbreviation for the National Human Rights Commission of India.
India: The country in which the National Human Rights Commission operates.
New Delhi: The city where students would have traveled to before the online program.
Shri Bharat Lal: Secretary General of NHRC, India.
14 MAY 2025: Date of posting of the notification.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - the source of the notification.
2week online short term internship: A short-term internship program conducted online.
OSTI: Abbreviation for online short term internship programme.
21 States UTs: Refers to 21 States and Union Territories in India from where the applicants originated.
Union Territories: Administrative divisions in India.
Supreme Court: The highest judicial body in India. Mentioned in reference to its role in the protection and promotion of human rights.
Shri Samir Kumar: Joint Secretary, NHRC, India.
Tihar Jail: A jail in India that is part of the virtual tour of the internship program.
Lt. Col Virender Singh: Course Coordinator of the online internship programme.
NSK Release ID: 2128573: Release identifier for the notification.
National Human Rights Commission
NHRC, India's coveted two-week online short- term
internship programme on human rights begins
It enables students from far-flung and remote areas
to participate in the programme without traveling to
New Delhi
Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, urges students to
serve as ambassadors of justice, equality, and
dignity, reflecting India’s ethos of compassion
Out of 1,795 applicants from 21 States/ UTs, 80
students selected for the programme
Posted On: 14 MAY 2025 12:37PM by PIB Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India yesterday began its 2-week online short-
term internship (OSTI) programme. 80 university-level students from diverse academic disciplines
from 21 States and Union Territories have been shortlisted out of 1,795 applicants to participate in
this programme. The two-week programme aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the
promotion and protection of human rights in the country.
NHRC, India Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, in his address, said that youth are the torchbearers of India’s
5,000-year-old civilisational ethos of empathy, compassion and justice. He urged the students to serve asambassadors of justice, equality, and dignity, and encouraged them to leverage this opportunity to understand
India’s constitutional framework and advocate for human rights and dignity of all. He also urged them to
focus on reflection over reaction and to make the best use of the opportunity to learn from experts as a means
to discover life’s purpose. He also explained the rationale of this online programme to expand outreach and
enable students from far flung and remote areas, who cannot travel to and stay at Delhi, to learn about various
aspects of human rights. He appealed to these students to fully utilise the opportunity to take maximum
benefit to equip themselves to protect and promote human rights.
He gave an overview of evolution of human rights in the country, constitutional provisions, role of Supreme
Court in protection and promotion of human rights, working of NHRC, India's civilisational and cultural ethos
to give refuge to persecuted people.
NHRC, India Joint Secretary, Shri Samir Kumar, gave an overview of the internship programme and
meticulously designed curriculum. It includes lectures, team and individual competitions such as group
research project presentation, book review and declamation competition and virtual tours of institutions such
as Tihar Jail, which offer first-hand insights into the realities of human rights. Lt. Col Virender Singh is the
Course Coordinator of the programme.The online short-term internship programme is designed to equip students from diverse academic
backgrounds with the knowledge and skills necessary to address human rights challenges. Through interactive
sessions and engaging activities, interns will gain a deeper understanding of international human rights law,
human rights issues specific to India, and effective advocacy strategies.
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NSK
(Release ID: 2128573)