New Delhi: Students pursuing courses such as social work, psychology, law and gender studies will get structured field exposure at child care institutions and welfare centres run by the Delhi government under a new internship and research framework issued by the Women and Child Development Department (WCD).
Under the guidelines, interns and researchers will be engaged in community-based initiatives, flagship welfare schemes and institutional activities aimed at providing practical understanding of grassroots-level social service delivery systems.
The WCD issued detailed norms for internships, academic research, post-doctoral studies and educational visits at its institutions and branches on Thursday.
It stated that recognised colleges and universities seeking internship placements for students would have to apply at least 40 days before the start of an academic session or semester.
Students from disciplines such as social work, psychology, sociology, criminology, public administration, child development and allied subjects will be eligible for placement, it said.
It further mentioned that interns may also be attached to different welfare schemes and outreach programmes to help them understand issues related to child protection, rehabilitation and community welfare.
The department said all activities would be carried out under strict child protection, privacy and ethical safeguards in line with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and other relevant laws.
According to the norms, interaction with children residing in institutions would be permitted only in the presence of authorised welfare officials.
The department has prohibited photography, videography and audio recording inside institutions without prior written approval, and instructed researchers and interns to maintain confidentiality of all personal and sensitive information collected during the course of their work.
Institutions applying for placements will have to nominate a faculty coordinator to monitor attendance and students' conduct during the internship period, and that reports, findings and research outcomes generated during internships or studies would first have to be submitted to the concerned WCD branches before being shared elsewhere, the guidelines stated.
It said permissions may be withdrawn in case of misconduct, indiscipline or violation of guidelines.
The WCD department said the initiative is aimed at giving students structured field experience while encouraging greater academic engagement with social welfare programmes and child protection systems.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.