The four-week Summer Internship Programme (SIP) 2025 of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India began at its premises in New Delhi on 16^th June, 2025. The programme aims to foster human rights awareness among university-level students. 80 students out of 1,468 applicants from 42 institutions of 20 States/ UTs with diverse academic disciplines have been shortlisted for this programme. They include the students of Law, Social Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, Journalism, Gender Studies, Digital Humanities, and International Relations.

Inaugurating the programme, NHRC, India Chairperson, Justice Shri V. Ramasubramanian, highlighted the strength of India’s unity in diversity, reflected in the interns’ varied backgrounds. He stressed the transformative power of peer learning and said that a child is nurtured by a mother’s care, a father’s direction, siblings’ insights, and the influence of peers. Encouraging their proactive engagement, he underscored the importance of gaining knowledge to serve a purpose in life. He also urged the interns to champion justice and empathy, contributing to a society where equal rights and opportunities are accessible to all human beings.

Earlier, in his keynote address on the occasion, the NHRC, India Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, emphasized the critical role of youth in advancing human rights. He called for cultivating a deep sense of sensitivity, responsiveness and compassion among youth to address societal challenges with a purpose and dedication. Drawing on India’s civilizational values, he encouraged the interns to adopt a balance in their outlook towards rights with responsibilities and to foster a commitment to creating an inclusive and just society. He expressed the hope that the interns would make the best use of this opportunity in shaping their lives for a better cause.

Before this, giving an overview of the internship programme, the NHRC, India Joint Secretary, Shri Samir Kumar, highlighted the Commission’s efforts in promoting and protecting human rights through such programmes. He highlighted that the programme’s interactive sessions, group research projects, book reviews, and declamation contests and field visits to NGOs, Police Stations, Prisons, Shelter Homes, other National Commissions, etc. are designed to deepen interns’ understanding of various facets of human rights issues and inspire innovative solutions, strengthening their dedication to the cause. Lt. Col. Virender Singh, Director, NHRC, delivered the vote of thanks.

***

NSK

Universitylevel Press Release