Justice Beyond Courtrooms: NHRC’s Virtual Internship Reaches India’s Remotest Corners to Nurture Rights-Conscious Citizens
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
New Delhi, November 12, 2025: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has commenced its two‑week Online Short-Term Internship Programme (OSTI) for November 2025, reaffirming its commitment to nurture a new generation of human rights defenders. Out of 906 applications received nationwide, 80 university‑level students from diverse academic disciplines and representing 16 States and Union Territories have been selected to participate.
Opening the programme, NHRC Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, underscored the Commission’s resolve to reach even the remotest corners of the country through online internships, thereby expanding the horizon of human rights awareness. He exhorted the interns to “reflect deeply, live purposefully and translate Constitutional ideals into action, becoming ambassadors of justice, empathy and dignity.”
Human Rights as Living Values
In his address, Shri Lal emphasized that dignity lies at the heart of all human rights, cautioning that any denial—whether through discrimination or deprivation of basic amenities—constitutes a violation. He reminded participants that human rights are dynamic and ever‑evolving, with contemporary challenges such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, climate change, clean air and water now demanding urgent attention. He urged the interns to seize this opportunity to make their lives meaningful by positively impacting others and leaving behind a lasting footprint of justice.
Curriculum with Judicial Depth
Providing an overview of the curriculum, NHRC Joint Secretary Saidingpuii Chhakchhuak highlighted that the internship will feature 43 sessions led by 34 expert speakers. The modules will cover critical themes including international law and human rights, rights of manual scavengers, mental health as a human right, and juvenile justice. To complement theoretical learning, interns will undertake a virtual tour of Tihar Jail, a police station, and the Asha Kiran shelter home in Delhi, gaining practical insights into institutional functioning.
The programme also incorporates interactive components such as a book review competition, group research project presentations on human rights issues, and a declamation contest, designed to sharpen analytical and advocacy skills.
A Call to Purpose
Lt. Col. Virender Singh, Director, was present during the inauguration, lending institutional gravitas to the proceedings. The internship, in its judicial spirit, seeks not merely to educate but to inspire—transforming students into custodians of Constitutional values and defenders of human dignity.
With this initiative, the NHRC continues to uphold its mandate of sensitising young minds, ensuring that the ideals of justice, equality, and empathy are not confined to the statute books but lived as guiding principles in society.
