Programme for Internship for LL.B./LL.M./Environmental Studies/Research Students (NGT)

What is the NGT internship programme?

The Programme for Internship for LL.B./LL.M./Environmental Studies/Research Students is an internship run by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the statutory body that hears environmental cases in India. According to the NGT, the programme offers college students the chance to intern with the Tribunal through Summer Internship Programmes (ordinarily March, April, May and July) and Winter Internship Programmes (ordinarily November, December and January).

The National Green Tribunal was set up under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. Its Principal Bench sits in New Delhi, with zonal benches elsewhere in the country. An internship here therefore exposes law and environmental-studies students to environmental adjudication rather than to executive or administrative work.

The internship is short and academic in nature: each intern is assigned a guide, carries out study on a selected topic, and submits a research paper or report for evaluation at the end. It is an unpaid learning placement, the Tribunal pays no remuneration. Because it is designed around a specific research topic and a four-week study window, it suits students who want a focused environmental-law research experience rather than a paid work placement.

Key features

• Duration of about 4 weeks ordinarily.
• Two cycles a year — Summer and Winter internship programmes.
• No remuneration or expenses paid.
• A certificate issued after evaluation of the research paper or work done.

Who is eligible for the NGT internship?

You can apply if:

• You are a student pursuing a three-year or five-year law degree course, or a course in environmental studies or environmental law, at any recognised college, law school or university in India.

You cannot apply if:

• You are pursuing an unrelated stream, for example, mechanical engineering or other non-law, non-environmental courses.
• You are not enrolled at a recognised Indian college, law school or university.

The maximum number of slots offered in any cycle is decided by the Competent Authority, so selection is limited and competitive.

What documents are required?

At the time of joining, you must produce a recommendation or no-objection letter from your Director or Head of Department. At completion, you must present a research paper or report on a selected topic and undertake any other studies assigned, submitting notes for evaluation.

How to apply for the NGT internship

1. Prepare your application in the prescribed format enclosed with the NGT internship notice.
2. Send it so that it reaches the NGT by 1 February for the Summer Internship Programme, or by 1 October for the Winter Internship Programme.
3. Submit it by post or by hand to the Registrar General, National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench), Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi - 110001, or email it to rg.ngt@nic.in.

Applications received after the last date, and incomplete applications, are not entertained, and no correspondence is entertained on late submissions. Because the number of slots each cycle is fixed by the Competent Authority and the window is short, it is worth applying well before the deadline and stating a clear area of environmental-law interest.

What benefits do interns receive?

• Certificate: Issued at the end of the internship after evaluation of the research paper or assessment of the work done.
• Guide: A guide is assigned to each intern for their study during the internship.
• Remuneration: None. The National Green Tribunal pays no remuneration or expenses, so this is an unpaid academic internship.

Help and contact

Applications and queries go to the Registrar General, National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench) at rg.ngt@nic.in, and scheme details and current notices appear on the official NGT portal greentribunal.gov.in. No separate helpline number is published for this internship; because it is unpaid, be wary of any third party charging a fee to arrange a place.

How to check your application status

The NGT internship has no online tracking portal or application ID system, so status checks work differently from most government schemes.

• No dashboard or reference number. The application is sent by post, by hand, or by email, and no acknowledgement number is issued at submission. There is no login or tracker on greentribunal.gov.in to check where your application stands.
• Selection is announced, not confirmed individually. The NGT Principal Bench typically informs selected candidates directly once the Competent Authority finalises the intake for that cycle. If you have not heard back close to the start of the Summer or Winter cycle you applied for, treat that as a signal you were not selected for that round.
• Follow up by email. If you sent your application well before the 1 February or 1 October deadline and want to confirm it was received, write to rg.ngt@nic.in referencing the date you sent it, the mode (post, hand delivery, or email), and the cycle applied for. Keep a copy of your original application and, if sent by post, any dispatch proof (courier receipt or speed post number) as your own record, since the NGT does not issue one.
• Watch the official notice. Fresh internship notices for the next cycle are posted on greentribunal.gov.in. A new notice appearing is a practical sign that the previous cycle's selection process has concluded.
• No helpline for status queries. Since no public helpline number is listed for this internship, email to the Registrar General's office is the only channel for a status check.

Common reasons for rejection

• Application reaches after the deadline. The NGT is explicit that applications received after 1 February (summer) or 1 October (winter) are not entertained, with no exceptions or late-correspondence window. Sending your application only a day or two before the deadline by post risks it arriving late; email or hand delivery closer to the cutoff reduces this risk.
• Incomplete application. An application missing required details or not following the prescribed format enclosed with the internship notice is rejected outright, as the NGT states incomplete applications are not entertained. Fill every field the prescribed format asks for, and attach any supporting information the notice requires before sending.
• Course does not match the eligible streams. The internship is open only to students of three-year or five-year law degree courses, or environmental studies/environmental law courses. Applications from students in unrelated disciplines, such as engineering or general science courses with no environmental-law component, do not meet the eligibility criteria and are turned down.
• Institution is not a recognised college, law school, or university. Applying while enrolled at an institution that is not recognised in India falls outside the eligibility criteria published by the NGT.
• No slots left in that cycle. The number of interns taken in a Summer or Winter cycle is capped by the Competent Authority. Even a complete, eligible application can go unselected simply because the intake for that cycle is full, since the programme is competitive rather than open to all qualifying applicants. Applying early in the window, and reapplying in the next cycle if unsuccessful, are the only practical responses to this kind of rejection.
• Missing recommendation or No Objection letter at joining. Selected candidates who cannot produce the required recommendation or NOC from their Director or Head of Department at the time of joining risk losing their place even after selection, since this document is mandatory for taking up the internship.