With just over a week left before applications close, the National Human Rights Commission has thrown open its doors virtually, for its August 2026 batch of interns. For students chasing a human rights credential without the cost of relocating, this is one of the more accessible entries on the internship calendar.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced its Online Short-Term Internship Programme (OSTI) – August, 2026, to be conducted from 3rd to 14th August, 2026. The Commission, mandated under Section 12(h) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 to generate awareness on the protection and promotion of human rights, has been conducting such internship programmes for students since 1998.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
MODE: Online
DURATION: Two weeks (3rd – 14th August, 2026), full-time from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
COURSE STRUCTURE:
The OSTI will cover about 40–45 sessions on various human rights issues, including:
- Address/interaction with the Hon’ble Chairperson and Members of NHRC, along with domain experts and senior Government of India officials
- Group project work on human rights issues
- Book review activity
- Films on human rights themes – child and bonded labour, anti-trafficking, health (including mental health), and education
- Virtual field visits to jails, police stations, and NGO/shelter homes, with an opportunity to interact and ask questions
ELIGIBILITY
- Students in the 3rd year onwards of any integrated 5-year PG course
- Students in the 3rd/final year of a graduation course
- Postgraduate degree students of any semester/year (including 3-year LL.B. students)
- Postgraduate diploma students of any semester/year
- Research scholars in any stream
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
- Students who have previously attended an NHRC internship programme are not eligible to reapply
- Minimum 60% marks in Class XII and in the first 4 semesters of graduation/five-year integrated course (percentage must be clearly derived from CGPA/SGPA, with the formula shown)
- Applicant must not be more than 28 years old as on 1st July, 2026
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
- Apply online through NHRC’s website or the NHRC India Mobile App by 10th July, 2026 (6:00 pm). No applications will be accepted after this deadline, or via email/post. The full official notification can be viewed here.
- Along with the form, submit:
- A 250-word Statement of Purpose (students with research potential in human rights will be preferred)
- Self-attested mark-sheets for Class X, Class XII, and the first 4 semesters of graduation
- A Letter of Recommendation from your Principal/HOD/Dean (format at Annexure-I)
- Incomplete applications, or those with discrepancies in marks/CGPA, will be rejected outright, so it’s worth double-checking everything before hitting submit.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Interns who successfully complete the programme receive a stipend of ₹2,000
- A Certificate of Participation will be awarded based on punctuality, discipline, participation, and timely submission of the group project, presentation, and book review
- Attendance at all sessions is mandatory; no leave applications will be entertained
- The final list of selected interns will be published on the NHRC website
For queries: 011-24663371 / internships.nhrc@gov.in (10 am–6 pm, Mon–Fri)
For technical issues: 011-24663294
