NHRC winter internship 2026 — Delhi, apply by 15 Oct, 6 pm

NHRC winter internship 2026 is File No. T-14/1/2023-Trg dated 1 October 2026, signed by Vineetha O. Kallada, Deputy Secretary (R & T). The four-week programme runs from 14 December 2026 (Monday) to 8 January 2027 (Friday) at the National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi. Last date to submit the online form is 15 October 2026, 18:00 hours. Apply only on the NHRC Winter Internship 2026 form. The announcement PDF is on nhrc.nic.in. The homepage also prints the same last date: 15 Oct 2026, 18:00 hrs.

What the National Human Rights Commission actually does

NHRC is a statutory body under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Section 12(h) of that Act asks the Commission to spread awareness on human rights. That is why it has run a winter internship since 1998 and a summer internship since 2000. This is not a job offer and it is not a court clerkship. You sit through sessions, do a group research project, write a book review, and go on field visits. The certificate comes only if you finish those tasks and attend every session.

A human right, in plain words, is a basic protection the law says a person should have — against torture, against being kept in jail without process, against discrimination, and for dignity in schools, hospitals and police stations. You do not need to have studied that phrase before. You do need the year of study and the marks printed below.

What kind of internship this is

This is an in-person, four-week training internship at NHRC, New Delhi. It is not work-from-home. The notice says about 55 to 60 sessions. Classroom sessions, a meeting with the Chairperson, Members and senior officers, a research project, a book review, films and discussion (child labour, anti-trafficking, rights of the elderly, health and education), and field visits. The visit list printed on the announcement is police stations, jail, NGOs, Parliament House, National Commission for Women, National Commission for Minorities, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Green Tribunal, National Legal Services Authority, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the Supreme Court of India.

You arrange your own stay in Delhi and your own local travel to the Commission. Tea, snacks twice a day, and lunch on working days are provided. Field-visit days get a packed lunch. Interns get a kit or bag and a temporary identity card. Library and internet are provided. Leave is not allowed. Attendance is marked daily. Registration is on the day you arrive.

Who should apply — and who should skip

Apply if you are an Indian student in a regular course of a UGC-recognised university, you are not more than 28 years old as on 1 October 2026, and you fit one of these lines from the 1 October 2026 announcement:

• You have completed the 1st year of a 3-year LL.B. and you are in the 2nd or 3rd year.
• You have completed 3 years, or Semester VI, of a 5-year integrated course (BA LL.B., BBA LL.B. and similar) and you are in the 4th or 5th year.
• You are pursuing an LL.M.
• You are in a PG Diploma in Human Rights, MA in Human Rights, or a PG course in Political Science, Sociology, Social Work (MSW), Criminology, Public Administration, Rural Development, History, Economics, Commerce, Anthropology, Mass Communication, International Relations, or another social science. Final-year students in these courses are preferred.

You also need at least 60% in Class 12 and at least 60% in each of the first 6 semesters of your graduation or five-year integrated course. Marks go into the form as percentage only, not as a CGPA left unexplained.

Skip if you already attended a regular one-month NHRC summer or winter internship. The announcement bars you. Skip if you are in the first year of a 3-year LL.B., or you have not finished Semester VI of a 5-year law course. Skip if you are in a distance or non-UGC course. Skip if you cannot sit in Delhi from 14 December 2026 to 8 January 2027 — no leave will be entertained. Skip if anyone asks you to pay a “NHRC intern token” or to apply on a link that is not on nhrc.nic.in. No fee is printed.

Dates and fee

Available positions

Total admitted — 100. Up to 20 students from Delhi and NCR may be kept on a wait list. If someone drops out, a wait-listed student may be called no later than the second day of the programme.

Educational qualifications

Selection

Merit is out of 100 marks, as printed:

1. Class 12 marks: 30.
2. Graduation marks: 40.
3. The 250-word write-up: 30. Topic is “Reason for joining as Intern in NHRC”. Students who show research potential on human rights are preferred.
4. The final list is displayed on the NHRC website. There is no interview date on this announcement.

If marks, CGPA or percentage in the form do not match your papers, the application is rejected and you can be barred from future NHRC programmes. Do not type Mr, Mrs or Ms in the form. Applications by email or post are not entertained.

If you finish, the stipend is ₹12,000. Group research prizes printed: ₹15,000, ₹10,000 and ₹5,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Top five book reviews get books priced not higher than ₹1,000 each. Top three in the declamation contest, Module Master or Info Clarity Challenge get books priced not higher than ₹1,000 each. The certificate depends on punctuality, discipline, attendance, and on-time project report, group presentation and book review.

How to prepare (free, official)

• Winter Internship Programme 2026 announcement PDF
• Online application and guidelines
• NHRC internship programmes page
• NHRC homepage — last date line

Read the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, Section 12, on the India Code site if you want the SOP to name a real function of the Commission. Do not paste a coaching-site sample.

How to apply without getting played

1. Open only the Winter Internship 2026 link on nhrc.nic.in. The form host is hrcnet.nic.in.
2. Students who have not interned at NHRC earlier can proceed. Verify mobile with the OTP. Fill fields marked * . Education from Class 10 onward. Marks in percentage only.
3. Write about 250 words on why you want this intern seat. Name one human-rights issue you have actually read, not a slogan.
4. Upload scanned attested mark sheets of Class 10, Class 12 and each of the first 6 semesters, the recommendation in Annexure-I dated after 1 October 2026, college ID, and a passport photo (the form page says jpeg not over 70 KB; other scans pdf, maximum 2 MB). Missing any of these can get the form rejected.
5. Final submit before 15 October 2026, 18:00 hours. Save the application number. Email applications are not accepted.
6. For programme queries: 011-24663371 and internships.nhrc@gov.in, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Technical trouble: 011-24663294.

FAQs

What is the last date for NHRC winter internship 2026?
15 October 2026, 18:00 hours. The announcement says no application will be accepted after that.

Who can apply?
2nd or 3rd year of a 3-year LL.B., 4th or 5th year of a 5-year integrated law course after Semester VI, LL.M., or the listed PG social-science courses. Regular UGC courses only. 60% in Class 12 and in each of the first 6 semesters. Age not over 28 as on 1 October 2026.

How many seats?
100 students will be admitted. Up to 20 from Delhi and NCR may sit on a wait list.

Where do I apply?
hrcnet.nic.in Winter Internship 2026 form, reached from nhrc.nic.in. Not by email.

What is the fee and the stipend?
No fee is printed. Stipend is ₹12,000 only if you successfully complete the internship. Outside Delhi, Sleeper AC 3 Tier train fare to New Delhi and back by the shortest route. Stay and local travel are yours. Lunch and snacks on working days are provided.

Can final-year students apply?
Yes, if the year matches the course line above. Final year is preferred for the PG social-science list. First-year 3-year LL.B. students do not match the printed rule.

Can I apply if I already did an NHRC internship?
No, if that earlier one was a regular one-month summer or winter programme.

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