Livelihood

Call for Internships: Jeevika

css_admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 08:25:27 +0000

Call for Internships: Jeevika Wed, 12/10/2025 - 13:55

Title: Policy, Research & Outreach Intern: Jeevika
Location: Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi
Duration: Minimum 6 weeks (Minimum)
Type: 20 hours/week, Offline (Field + Office)
Application Deadline: 15th December, 2025

About Centre for Civil Society (CCS)

The Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is an independent public policy think tank based in New Delhi, working to advance social change through public policy. CCS focuses on education, livelihood, and policy training, promoting choice and accountability across private and public sectors. It engages with policymakers, civil society, and opinion leaders through research, pilot projects, and advocacy to translate policy into practice.

Position Overview

CCS invites applications for a minimum two-month internship with its flagship program, Jeevika, which provides pro-bono legal support to the Delhi street vending community through the Jeevika Mobile App.

This internship involves a hybrid model of structured fieldwork and on-site office engagement, with a strong emphasis on ground-level app installation and onboarding of street vendors, legal awareness dissemination, grievance data collection, and support to the legal empowerment ecosystem in Delhi.

Interns will work closely with CCS’s legal empowerment team, partner organisations, and street vendor associations to advance accessible and affordable legal aid delivery through technology and field-based outreach.

Key Responsibilities

Field Operations & App Installation
- Conduct field visits across Delhi markets to onboard street vendors onto the Jeevika Mobile App.
- Disseminate legal awareness materials, explain app features, and support vendors in using the app effectively.
- Collect and record vendor grievances through structured digital forms.
Legal & Documentation Support
- Assist in drafting legal documents including RTIs, writs, complaints, and notices.
- Help vendors organise and collate legal documents, and provide guidance based on Jeevika’s legal framework and guidelines.
Research & Data Collection
- Conduct on-ground data collection and legal outreach engagements, supporting Jeevika’s legal and advocacy functions.
- Work with CCS teams to map vendor issues, track patterns in grievances, and support legal follow-ups.
Partnerships & Communication
- Support CCS teams in coordinating with street vendor associations, legal aid partners, and other stakeholders.
- Contribute to communication collaterals, research briefs, and documentation of field learnings.
Additional Tasks
- Handle any other responsibilities assigned by the CCS team within the scope of the project.

Benefits

Gain a first-hand understanding of the legal ecosystem surrounding Delhi’s street vending community.
Receive mentorship from CCS Senior Fellows and legal researchers.
Participate in a flagship iPolicy workshop for free and access CCS’s resource library.
Contribute directly to the livelihood protection and legal empowerment of one of Delhi’s most vital informal sectors.
Opportunity to publish blogs, essays, and research on CCS platforms including Spontaneous Order and Azadi.me.

Qualifications

University students or recent graduates (Essential)
Fluency in English and Hindi (Essential)
Ability to generate communication collaterals including policy reports, research articles, and blogs (Essential)
Keen interest in applying theoretical knowledge to complex on-ground realities (Essential)
Prior experience in community outreach or legal aid (Desirable)
Willingness to commit approximately 20–24 working hours per week (Essential)
Based in Delhi-NCR and comfortable with frequent field visits (Essential)

How to Apply

Send your CV and cover letter to pravin@ccs.in with the subject line: “Policy Impact & Outreach Intern Application: Jeevika”.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Disclaimer

This is an unpaid internship. No monetary remuneration will be provided. A Certificate of Appreciation will be issued upon successful completion of the internship.

Livelihood

Legal Internship Opportunity: Policy Research & Outreach – Livelihood Vertical

css_admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:29:01 +0000

Legal Internship Opportunity: Policy Research & Outreach – Livelihood Vertical Wed, 10/15/2025 - 15:59

The Policy Research & Outreach team at the Centre for Civil Society is inviting applications for six full-time/part-time legal interns to work from our office in New Delhi. This internship offers hands-on experience in policy and legal research, and outreach with a focus on the Jeevika livelihood vertical.

About Jeevika

Jeevika is the flagship initiative of CCS’s Livelihood vertical, dedicated to protecting and expanding the livelihood freedom of India’s street vendors and informal workers. Street entrepreneurs are a vital part of the urban economy, yet they often face harassment, arbitrary eviction, and lack of recognition in city planning. To address these challenges, Jeevika combines research, policy advocacy, technology, and legal empowerment to create an enabling environment for dignified self-employment.

A key focus of Jeevika is ensuring effective implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. This landmark legislation was enacted to safeguard the rights of nearly 10 million street vendors across India, providing for the constitution of Town Vending Committees (TVCs) with vendor representation, a legal framework for issuing vending certificates and regulating vending zones, and protection against arbitrary eviction or harassment.

Despite the Act, enforcement remains patchy and vendors continue to be vulnerable. Jeevika addresses this gap by:

Deploying the Jeevika Mobile App, which empowers vendors with real-time legal support, harassment reporting, and geo-tagging of vending locations.
Running the Jeevika Fellowship, where law students offer pro bono legal aid and awareness drives for vendors.
Conducting empirical studies and documentation to record harassment trends and judicial responses.
Partnering with vendor associations and civil society groups to build collective advocacy and strengthen grassroots voices in policy dialogue.

Over the years, Jeevika has contributed to policy reforms, court interventions, and public campaigns that advance recognition of vendors as legitimate stakeholders in Indian cities. The initiative not only works towards reducing the criminalization of work but also ensures that the 2014 Act fulfills its promise of legal protection, dignity, and livelihood security for street entrepreneurs.

Eligibility

Law students:
- 3rd year onwards in a 5-year integrated program; or
- 2nd year onwards in a 3-year LLB program.

Role & Responsibilities

Conducting research on legal and policy frameworks governing street vending, livelihood reforms, and urban regulatory systems.
Drafting policy briefs, research notes, and outreach documents.
Assisting in workshops, consultations, and field visits related to livelihood reforms.
Coordinating with internal teams and external stakeholders for policy dialogues.

Skills Required

Strong research, writing, and analytical ability.
Keen interest in law, livelihood, and public policy.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment.

Duration:

Internship duration and commitment of 6 weeks with interns expected to devote at least 20 hours per week. (extensions granted on performance and requirement)

Location

Work from Office – Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi

To Apply: Send your CV and a writing sample, preferably relevant to the thematic area of this position, to jeevika@ccs.in. Subject line: Application – Legal Internship (Policy Research & Outreach – Jeevika)

About Centre for Civil Society (CCS)

The Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is India’s leading liberal think tank, working to advance social change through public policy. CCS conducts research, pilot projects, and advocacy across key areas such as education, livelihoods, governance, and ease of doing business. By engaging with policymakers, academia, media, and grassroots communities, CCS strives to bring greater freedom and choice to individuals, while promoting accountability and transparency in governance

Livelihood

Internship Opportunity: Policy Research & Outreach – Livelihood Vertical

css_admin — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:00:10 +0000

Internship Opportunity: Policy Research & Outreach – Livelihood Vertical Tue, 09/09/2025 - 22:30

Centre for Civil Society (CCS), New Delhi

The Policy Research & Outreach team at the Centre for Civil Society is inviting applications for full-time/part-time interns to work from our office in New Delhi. This internship offers hands-on experience in policy research, quantitative and empirical research, and outreach with a focus on the Jeevika livelihood vertical.

About Jeevika

Jeevika is the flagship initiative of CCS’s Livelihood vertical, dedicated to protecting and expanding the livelihood freedom of India’s street vendors and informal workers. Street entrepreneurs are a vital part of the urban economy, yet they often face harassment, arbitrary eviction, and lack of recognition in city planning. To address these challenges, Jeevika combines research, policy advocacy, technology, and legal empowerment to create an enabling environment for dignified self-employment.

Despite the Act, enforcement remains patchy and vendors continue to be vulnerable. Jeevika addresses this gap by:

Deploying the Jeevika Mobile App, which empowers vendors with real-time legal support, harassment reporting, and geo-tagging of vending locations.
Running the Jeevika Fellowship, where law students offer pro bono legal aid and awareness drives for vendors.
Conducting empirical studies and documentation to record harassment trends and judicial responses.
Partnering with vendor associations and civil society groups to build collective advocacy and strengthen grassroots voices in policy dialogue.

Eligibility

Law students:
- 3rd year onwards in a 5-year integrated program; or
- 2nd year onwards in a 3-year LLB program.
Economics students:
- 2nd year onwards Interested in empirical and quantitative studies, data-driven policy analysis, and field research.
B.Tech students:
- 2nd year onwards with strong skills in data analysis, quantitative methods, or technology-policy intersections (e.g., digital livelihoods, regulatory tech solutions).
Any Other Relevant Academic Field
- With a shown record of conducting quantitative and empirical research, displaying proficiency in tools for data analysis and quantitative methodologies.

Role & Responsibilities

Conducting research on livelihood reforms, and regulatory frameworks.
Supporting empirical and quantitative studies including data collection, data cleaning, and statistical analysis.
Drafting policy briefs, research notes, and outreach documents.
Assisting in workshops, consultations, and field visits related to livelihood reforms.
Coordinating with internal teams and external stakeholders for policy dialogues.

Skills Required

Strong research, writing, and analytical ability.
Comfort with data tools (Excel, R, Stata, Python, etc.) desirable for Economics/B.Tech interns.
Keen interest in law, livelihood, and public policy.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment.

Location

Work from Office – Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi

Duration

Internship duration and commitment of 4 weeks with interns expected to devote at least 20 hours per week. (extensions granted on performance and requirement)

To Apply: Send your CV and a short statement of interest to jeevika@ccs.in. Subject line: Application – Internship (Policy Research & Outreach – Jeevika)

About Centre for Civil Society (CCS)

The Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is India’s leading liberal think tank, working to advance social change through public policy. CCS conducts research, pilot projects, and advocacy across key areas such as education, livelihoods, governance, and ease of doing business. By engaging with policymakers, academia, media, and grassroots communities, CCS strives to bring greater freedom and choice to individuals, while promoting accountability and transparency in governance

Ongoing Programs Livelihood

Research Intern | K-12 Research

css_admin — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 07:39:42 +0000

Research Intern | K-12 Research Sat, 07/27/2024 - 13:09

Job Title: Research Intern
Location: Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi
Duration: Minimum 1 month
Type: Full-Time (Online or on-site)
Application Deadline: 29 August 2024

About Centre for Civil Society (CCS):

Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is an independent public policy think tank based in New Delhi, focusing on education, livelihood, and policy training to promote choice and accountability across private and public sectors. CCS engages with policy and opinion leaders through research, pilot projects, and advocacy to translate policy into practice.

Position Overview:

The Centre for Civil Society is accepting interns for its project ‘Choosing dignity: Unlocking Education for All”. This project focuses on the mapping of the regulations governing private schools in every state. We aim to produce a report comparing the ease of opening, operating, and closing of private schools across states. We intend to do this exercise annually to inform policymakers and parents of private schools' challenges and progress. Our work checks against burdensome, obsolete, inconsistent laws that thwart the easy opening, operating, and closing of private schools across states in India. In light of these goals, the intern will be responsible to support the operations, partnerships, research and digital communications arising from and/or for the program.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Collect and interpret laws, rules and regulations related to the school education landscape in India.

2. Drafting policy briefs, research articles, blogs, concept notes and case summaries as and when required.

3. Engaging in various data management activities, including collation, organization and analysis of relevant information

4. Handling of any additional tasks assigned by the CCS team within the scope of various projects.

Benefits:

1. An opportunity to develop a detailed understanding of the school regulatory ecosystem concerning administrative and constitutional laws.

2. Mentorship access to CCS Senior Fellows

3. An opportunity to participate in a highly acclaimed CCS events and workshops for free, along with access to the CCS library

4.An opportunity to publish research essays, blogs etc. on CCS platforms, including the CCS.in and blog platforms: Spontaneous Order, Azadi.me.

Qualifications:

1. The applicant must be a law student or graduate (Essential)

2. Fluency in reading, writing and speaking the following languages: English, Hindi (Essential)

3. Ability to understand and interpret laws, rules and regulations (Essential)

4. Ability to generate communication collaterals including but not limited to policy reports, research articles, and blogs (Essential)

5. Keen interest in applying theoretical knowledge into complex on-ground realities (Essential)

6. An availability to engage for approximately 40 working hours/week (Essential).

How to Apply:

Qualified candidates should apply by emailing their CV and cover letter to snehal@ccs.in. Please include "Internship application: K-12 Research” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Disclaimer:

This is an unpaid internship. No monetary remuneration will be provided. Upon satisfactory completion of the internship, a Certificate of Appreciation will be issued.

Livelihood

From the Bazaar to the Basin: WASH Needs among the Women Street Vendors of Delhi

css_admin — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:48:42 +0000

From the Bazaar to the Basin: WASH Needs among the Women Street Vendors of Delhi Thu, 07/11/2024 - 18:18

This policy brief examines the barriers to accessing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities for women street vendors in Delhi, who constitute 30% of the city’s estimated two million street vendors. Despite the Street Vendors Act, 2014, and the Delhi Street Vendors Scheme, 2019, women vendors face significant challenges, including harassment and lack of social security. The study, which surveyed eight major markets in Delhi, found considerable disparities in access to WASH provisions, impacting women's employment and well-being. Recommendations include integrating gender-specific considerations into the Street Vendors Act, ensuring equitable access to WASH facilities, and enhancing stakeholder collaboration to improve infrastructure and awareness.

From the Bazaar to the Basin: WASH Needs among the Women Street Vendors of Delhi (3.51 MB) Livelihood Off

West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act 1984, Climate Change and the Sundarbans people

css_admin — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:43:00 +0000

West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act 1984, Climate Change and the Sundarbans people Tue, 02/27/2024 - 17:13

A Policy Position paper analysing the WB Inlands Fisheries Act 1984 and it's impact on the Fisherfolks community and the mangroves facing climate threats

Author : Ghanshyam Sharma

West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act 1984, Climate Change and the Sundarbans people (1.33 MB) Governance Livelihood No On

Charu Khurana: Fair End, Flawed Means

css_admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:21:07 +0000

Charu Khurana: Fair End, Flawed Means Thu, 12/15/2022 - 13:51

In Charu Khurana v. Union of India, 2014 SCC Online SC 900, a Supreme Court Bench comprising of Dipak Misra and U.U. Lalit, JJ held that the bye-laws of Cine Costume Make-up Artists and Hair Dressers Association (‘Association’) prohibiting women from practising as make-up artists and requiring residency for over 5 years in Maharashtra violate fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution as well as statutory provisions. The Court directed the bye-laws to be quashed, and the police administration to prevent any harassment of female artists by the Association.

Livelihood charu_khurana_-_fair_end_flawed_means.pdf (249.41 KB)

Does Gambling Qualify as a Trade?

css_admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:20:00 +0000

Does Gambling Qualify as a Trade? Thu, 12/15/2022 - 13:50

A five judge bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, in State of Bombay vs R.M.D. Chamarbaugwala (AIR 1957 SC 699), held that gambling or conducting the business of gambling is extra-commercium and hence not included within the meaning of ‘trade, commerce or intercourse’. Consequently, it is not protected by the fundamental right to trade and profession under Article 19(1)(g) or the freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse under Article 301 of the Constitution of India.

Livelihood does_gambling_qualify_as_a_trade.pdf (258.2 KB)

Right to Employment vs Security

css_admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:18:47 +0000

Right to Employment vs Security Thu, 12/15/2022 - 13:48

The Hon’ble High Court of Gujarat, in Mahila Utkarsh Trust vs Union of India (2014 SCC OnLine Guj 7642), held the provisions contained in Section 66(1)(b) of the Factories Act, 1948 – prohibiting women from working in factories between 7.00 pm and 6.00 am - to be ultra vires Articles 14, 15, 16, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution of India, relying on the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Anuj Garg vs Hotel Association of India (AIR 2008 SC 663).

Livelihood right_to_employment_vs_security.pdf (203.82 KB)

Model Rules under the Street Vendors Act 2014

css_admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:16:10 +0000

Model Rules under the Street Vendors Act 2014 Thu, 12/15/2022 - 13:46

iJustice has drafted Model Rules under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014, for dissemination amongst Government Authorities. These rules have been drafted with the aim to ensure effective implementation of the Street Vendors Act 2014, keeping in mind the goal of ensuring livelihood freedom to vendors and hawkers and adherence to the rule of law and the principles of natural justice. These rules have been drafted in deliberation with various stakeholders, including public interest lawyers, street vendor organisations, students and other public spirited persons.

Please find below a link to the Model Rules. Comments on these Rules are welcome and maybe sent to prashant@ijustice.in(link sends e-mail)

Livelihood rules_under_sv_act_-_final.pdf (431.42 KB)