The four-week Summer Internship Programme (SIP) 2025 of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) commenced at its premises in the national capital. The programme aims to foster awareness of human rights among university-level students.
Out of 1,468 applicants from 42 institutions across 20 states and union territories, 80 students from diverse academic backgrounds have been shortlisted. These include students of law, social sciences, social work, psychology, journalism, gender studies, digital humanities, and international relations.
Inaugurating the programme, NHRC Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian highlighted India’s unity in diversity, reflected in the interns’ varied backgrounds. He emphasized the transformative power of peer learning, noting that a child is nurtured by a mother’s care, a father’s guidance, the insights of siblings, and the influence of peers.
Urging the interns to engage proactively, he underscored the importance of acquiring knowledge with a purpose and encouraged them to champion justice and empathy in building a society where equal rights and opportunities are available to all.
Earlier, in his keynote address, NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal emphasized the crucial role of youth in advancing human rights. He called for cultivating a strong sense of sensitivity, responsiveness, and compassion among young people to address societal challenges with purpose and dedication.
Drawing on India’s civilizational values, he urged the interns to maintain a balanced perspective on rights and responsibilities, and to commit themselves to building an inclusive and just society. He expressed hope that the interns would make the best use of this opportunity to shape their lives for a greater cause.
Providing an overview of the internship programme, NHRC Joint Secretary Samir Kumar highlighted the Commission’s initiatives in promoting and protecting human rights through such engagements.
He noted that the programme includes interactive sessions, group research projects, book reviews, declamation contests, and field visits to NGOs, police stations, prisons, shelter homes, and other national commissions.
These activities are designed to deepen the interns’ understanding of human rights issues and encourage innovative solutions, reinforcing their commitment to the cause. Lt Col Virender Singh, Director, NHRC, delivered the vote of thanks.