Internship Experience @ State Human Rights Commission, Chennai: Helping the voiceless should be the foremost concern

Your Name, College, Year of Study, Email ID

Anonymous

Name of Organisation, Location city, Team Strength

State Human Rights Commission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Application Process with contact details

Visiting In Person. Contact the Legal Cell Department located in the Ground Floor. Request for Dates, then can apply with a letter from the College.

Generally the Internship Period ranges from 1 week to 1 month.

Duration of internship and timings

One Week. August 2015

First impression, first day formalities, infrastructure

Be there on time everyday and shall leave after 16:30 Hrs after informing the section officer in the Legal Cell Department.

They maintain an attendance register, where all the requisite details are filled on the first day and will have to be signed every day.

There are two types of work:

1. Entry of data into forms and registers.

2. Destruction of Old case files and their entry into the Register.

Office is better than a typical govt. office. They are caring and well knit group.

Bring a red pen.

Main tasks

There are different types of forms. The data should be carried forward to the registers. Several letters and applications are received by the office complaining of Human Rights violation.

They take action based on those letters.

Reading old case files during destruction process is more enlightening. The entire case history can be studied.

The cases involving high profile gangsters, police encounters are very interesting. The case file will start with FIR, Witness, Evidence recovered, postmortem reports, etc.

Allowed to sit during trials and observe the proceedings. Generally public servants are defaulters.

Work environment and people

Work Environment is very relaxed. They give you snacks and tea at regular intervals.

People are very warm, friendly and approachable.

The Judicial member is a gem, he is very warm and gives guidance when asked for.

Best things

Watching the trial and cross examinations. Next best thing conversations with the Judicial Member or Chairperson. Throws a lot of light of different aspects of life other than law.

Bad things

Filling forms, registers. Repetitive. Monotonous. Sometimes very boring. When you don’t have the right company as a co-intern it will be harder.

Stipend

None

Biggest Lessons

I discovered the amount of human rights violations happening around me.

The concept of human rights and dignity. Never to be scared of any cop when leading a rightful life. Money can never satisfy me and helping the voiceless should be the foremost concern of being an advocate.

Any Other Thing

None

Overall Rating

7

Accommodation

Lived in the same city. Didn’t need one. Located in Greenways Road, well connected by MRTS and Bus.

Office Timings

Weekdays: Monday to Friday (Except Govt. holidays)

Timings: 10:30 to 16:30.

Bring your own lunch. Lunch Timings: 13:30 to 14:30.

They are strict on attendance and regularity.