The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, concluded a two-week online short-term internship program on May 27, 2025. Sixty-nine students from diverse universities across 21 states and one Union Territory completed the program, selected from nearly 1,800 applicants. During the valedictory session, NHRC Member Smt. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani emphasized the importance of empathy and the practical application of human rights principles. The internship included 35 sessions led by NHRC officers, experts, and civil society representatives, as well as virtual tours of facilities like Tihar Jail. Students also participated in book reviews, group research projects, and a declamation competition. Smt. Sayani highlighted the need to address human rights violations by citing the displacement and inadequate living conditions faced by a tribal population in Andhra Pradesh.
Key Entities Referenced
National Human Rights Commission: A national commission referred to by the acronym NHRC, India
NHRC, India: Acronym for the National Human Rights Commission of India.
Online ShortTerm Internship: A two-week program organized by the NHRC, India.
Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani: Member of the NHRC, India.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - the source of the notification.
21 States: Number of states from which students participated in the internship program.
Union Territory: A single Union Territory from which students participated in the internship program.
Alluri Sitarama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh: A district in Andhra Pradesh where tribal populations were displaced.
Polavaram project: A project that caused displacement of tribal populations in Andhra Pradesh.
Shri Samir Kumar: Joint Secretary, NHRC, India
Tihar Jail: A jail in Delhi, virtually toured during the internship.
Police Station: A Police Station in Delhi, virtually toured during the internship.
Asha Kiran Shelter Home: A shelter home in Delhi, virtually toured during the internship.
Delhi: Location of Tihar Jail, Police Station, and Asha Kiran Shelter Home.
NSK Release ID: 2131574: Release ID of the notification.
National Human Rights Commission
NHRC, India’s two-week Online Short-Term
Internship concludes
69 students from various universities from the far-
flung areas of different regions in the country
completed it
NHRC, India Member, Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, in
the valedictory session, urges students to embrace
empathy as a guiding principle for justice
Emphasises human rights as lived realities and not
abstract ideas
Posted On: 27 MAY 2025 12:56PM by PIB Delhi
The two-week Online Short-Term Internship programme organized by the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC), India has concluded. It commenced on 13th May, 2025. 69 students from various
universities from the far-flung areas of different regions in 21 States and one Union Territory completed it. 80
students were shortlisted out of a total of 1,795 applicants for this covetous internship programme of the
Commission for university-level students.Addressing the valedictory session, the NHRC, India Member, Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, congratulated the
students on the successful completion of the internship. She expressed the hope that they would make the best
use of this exposure to various aspects of human rights while urging them to embrace empathy. She said that
human rights are about dignity, equality, and freedom. They are about ensuring that every individual,
regardless of their socio-economic background, can live without fear, with equal access to opportunities, and
with respect.
The Member underscored that achieving zero tolerance to human rights violations is a way forward. In this
context, she drew attention to the plight of tribal population of 14 villages in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district
of Andhra Pradesh, who were the displaced due to the Polavaram project, and the poorly constructed dwelling
units provided to them as an alternative were bereft of necessities of human life including drinking water,
toilets, electricity. Their new surroundings continue to lack healthcare, roads, transportation, hospitals,
schools, etc., despite several requests made to the authorities. She called upon the concerned authorities to
address their issues at the earliest by accepting that human rights are lived realities and not abstract ideas.NHRC, India Joint Secretary, Shri Samir Kumar presented the internship report. The students were exposed to
various aspects of human rights in 35 sessions conducted by the senior NHRC officers, experts and civil
society representatives. He said that they were also taken for virtual tours to the Tihar Jail, Police Station and
Asha Kiran Shelter Home in Delhi to have an understanding of their functioning and related challenges in
ensuring protection of human rights. He also announced the winners of the book review, group research
project presentation, and declamation competition.
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NSK
(Release ID: 2131574)