Internships are now mandatory for students who are pursuing undergraduate (UG) programmes and for this, they will be awarded credits, as per new draft guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Draft of "Guidelines for internship and research internship for undergraduate students" were put out on Tuesday, October 10, and are in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which lays emphasis on including research and internships in the undergraduate (UG) curriculum. This is to ensure students are offered chances for active engagement in on-site experiential learning.
"A minimum of two to four credits, out of the required minimum 120/160 credits, of a three-year UG degree/four-year UG degree (Honours)/four-year UG degree (Honours with Research) can be assigned for internship as per the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) and Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programme (CCFUP)," the draft guidelines stated.
After the fourth semester, an internship of 60 to 120 hours will be mandatory for students who are pursuing their undergraduation.
"Three-year UG degree, four-year UG degree (Honours) and four-year degree (Honours with Research) programme will be operating strictly adhering to NEP-2020, NHEQF and CCFUP provisions," the draft guidelines stated.
"Based on the higher education qualification level descriptors for level-5. 5 and level-6 some of the competencies with research orientation should be attained by the students by studying the courses under the Research Ability Enhancement Courses (RAEC) and by undertaking the research internship project," they stated.
For a three-year UG degree, 60 to 120-hour internship will be compulsory and for a four-year degree, in the eighth semester, a research internship would be compulsory.
Regular internships can be done with:
- Government organisations
- Private organisations
- Non-government organisations
- Enterprises
- Business organisations
- Local industry
- Artistes
- Craftspeople and others
Research internships can be done with:
- Faculty members
- Scientists
- Mentors in higher education institutions (HEIs)
- Research institutions
- Universities
- Industrial research labs
- Nationally and internationally reputed organisations
- Farmers
- Entrepreneurs
"Each HEI should have a nodal officer who is responsible for developing need and demand-led verticals as well as expectations from each vertical in undergraduate programmes to define verticals, HEIs must undertake a survey in the local market to understand the needs of companies and the expectations of student," the draft guidelines stated.
Various vertices recommended by the commission:
- Trade and agriculture
- Economy and banking financial
- Logistics
- Information technology (IT)
- Art
- Design and music
- Healthcare and life science
- Sports
- Wellness and physical education
- Environment, among others
"The interns will be evaluated by the research internship supervisor based on their efforts and research output, or the interns will be evaluated through seminar presentation or viva-voce at the HEI," the draft guidelines stated.
