The two-week Online Short Term Internship (OSTI) of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has started in New Delhi. 80 university-level students out of 1,957 applicants of diverse academic disciplines from 21 states and Union Territories have been shortlisted to participate in this programme. The two-week programme seeks to impart a deeper understanding of human rights, related laws and the institutional mechanism among the interns.
Justice Sarangi gave an overview of the NHRC’s mission under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHR Act) and the Constitutional guarantees to the citizens under Articles 14, 19, and 21 protecting the rights to equality, liberty and life, aligning with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). He also highlighted NHRC’s various interventions including initiatives such as mainstreaming the rights concerns of transgender.
Earlier, NHRC Joint Secretary, Smt Saidingpuii Chhakchhuak gave an overview of the internship programme. She said that the carefully designed curriculum will have 46 sessions led by serving and retired senior government officers, NHRC officers and core group members, academicians, HRDs, experts and representatives of civil society organisations. Besides, the interns will also be given exposure to various aspects of human rights through group research presentations, book reviews, declamation competitions and virtual tours to Tihar Jail, a police station and ASHA Kiran Shelter Home to have an understanding of their functioning and the human rights-related challenges.