Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: A postgraduation course in human rights will start at University Law College from this academic session.

The course aims to equip students with systematic knowledge of the subject as well as legal instruments and mechanisms for protection of human rights.

The process of application will begin in the middle of September after the results of the bachelors degree final exams are published. Sixteen seats are on offer for this two-year course.

“We have received due approval from Utkal University, our parent institution, to launch the first-ever postgraduation programme in our college,” principal of University Law College S.A.K. Azad said.

“The long-standing demand of our students to have the postgraduation course in human rights has been fulfilled,” said the principal.

Utkal’s PG Council chairman P.K. Mishra said the course — an innovative programme of the University Grants Commission (UGC) — will help students complete their graduation and postgraduation from the same college. “The commission would provide funds worth Rs 50 lakh for five years to the college to run the course while the university will extend support in terms of infrastructure and teachers,” Mishra said.

He said classes for the course were expected to begin from the first week of October.

Students for the postgraduation course will be screened through an entrance test.