Engineering students will have to undergo three internships

In a move that is expected to improve the quality of engineering education in the State, internships have been made mandatory for engineering students from the academic year 2018-19. The internship has to be taken in the industry concerned by students either after completing their second year or third year of engineering to gain knowledge. So far, students are made to do a mini and major project as part of their final year course. A few students in the engineering colleges take these projects seriously, while the rest buy readymade projects from the market at a nominal price. Lack of practical knowledge and internship component has dented the quality of the engineering education in the State, according to officials.

Last year, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar had announced that engineering students will have to undergo three internships before completing their graduation. According to the model curriculum of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), of 160 credits, 15 will be given for project work, seminar and internships in the industry. Now the students have to mandatorily take up internships ranging between six and eight weeks in the industry. They will be given required credits on successful completion of their internship. The idea of an internship is to reduce theory work and increase practical knowledge among students thereby enhancing the employability rate in the relevant industry.

“From the next academic year, engineering students have to compulsory take up internships for about six to eight weeks,” Navin Mittal, Commissioner of Technical Education, said. Even for students of polytechnic colleges, the internship has been made mandatory. However, their internship will be for about four to six weeks during their course study. Accordingly, the Commissionerate of Technical Education has prepared a model curriculum. From the next academic year, students will have an equal number of practical and theory subjects. Earlier, students had six subjects and four practicals whereas now they will five theory subjects and five practicals.