The Human Rights Committee concluded Human Rights Week 2025 with a panel discussion titled "Law Students as Human Rights Defenders: Challenges, Risks and Responsibilities." Organized in collaboration with CPDRS, the event brought together practitioners and academics to discuss the realities of human rights work.

The panel comprised Prof. Blessy Sudarsan, Prof. Bhaskar Simha, Mr. M. N. Sriram, Mr. N. Ravi, each bringing distinct perspectives from their work in human rights advocacy, legal practice, and academia. The discussion moved beyond abstract ideals to address practical concerns that law students preparing to enter this field would actually face.

Panelists spoke candidly about the complexities of human rights work, including the personal toll of handling sensitive cases, navigating institutional resistance and bureaucratic obstacles, managing financial uncertainties in public interest litigation, dealing with threats and pressure from powerful interests, and maintaining ethical integrity while working within imperfect systems. The conversation was refreshingly honest, with panelists sharing personal experiences and setbacks alongside their successes, giving students a realistic picture of what human rights defense actually entails.

The collaboration with CPDRS proved valuable in grounding the discussion in ongoing work. The organization's involvement helped students understand concrete opportunities for engagement beyond academic settings and connect classroom learning with active movements for rights and justice.

During the interactive session, students asked probing questions about career sustainability, handling disillusionment, and balancing activism with professional responsibilities. The panelists responded thoughtfully, acknowledging difficulties while explaining why the work remains essential. Their responses struck a balance between realism about challenges and genuine conviction about the importance of human rights defense.

The event provided students with an unvarnished look at human rights work as a vocation rather than an abstract concept. By addressing both obstacles and motivations honestly, the panelists helped students understand what sustained commitment to justice actually requires and offered guidance for those seriously considering this path.