AICTE draft policy for mandatory internship

To have option for full term and part-time internship

From the current session an engineering student will have to compulsorily undertake 600 to 700 hours of internship during their four-year B Tech programme while the students enrolled in diploma level engineering programmes will have to complete 450-500 hours of internship, the AICTE has proposed.

According to a draft internship policy and guidelines formulated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), students will have option to either go for a full-time internship or part time.

Students internship programmes will start from their second semester.

“A minimum of 14-20 credits of internship/entrepreneurial activities/project work/seminar and inter/intra institutional training may be counted toward B Tech degree programme and 10-16 credits for three year diploma programme,” the council proposed in its draft guidelines.

With the council proposing to make one credit equivalent to minimum 40-45 hours of work, a full time intern is expected to spend 40-45 hours per week on internship, training, project work, seminar and other activities.

“This will result in 600 to 700 hours of total internship duration for the B Tech and 450-500 hours of diploma,” the council said.

A student can undertake full-time internship in the summer vacation.

Those keen on going for part time internship can undertake it anytime during their academic session.

As per draft guidelines, students, after summer vacation, are required to be involved in inter/intra institutional activities such as training with the higher education institutions or soft skill training organised by the training and placement cell of the respective institutions.

After fourth or sixth semester, students can choose to undergo innovation/entrepreneurial activities under the internship programme.

“Students may choose either to work on innovation or entrepreneurial activities resulting in start-up or undergo internship with industry/NGOs/government organisations to make themselves ready for the industry,” the draft guidelines stipulates.

Students can take up project work and seminar as per their curriculum during their eighth (last) semester, it added.