Internship compulsory for UG students: University Grants Commission

 STAFF REPORTER

NEW DELHI: As per the new draft guidelines from the University Grants Commission (UGC), students enrolled in undergraduate programmes will be required to undertake internships, and they will receive academic credits for their internship experiences.

The release of the draft "Guidelines for Internships and Research Internships for Undergraduate Students" aligns with the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP 2020 underscores the significance of integrating research and internships into undergraduate (UG) curricula. This approach is intended to offer students opportunities for meaningful involvement in on-site experiential learning, thereby promoting a more practical and holistic educational experience.

The undergraduate internships would be categorized into two types: a. internships for enhancing employability; and b. internships for developing research aptitude.

Through a public notice, UGC has invited comments, suggestions, or feedback on the draft guidelines for internships and research internships for undergraduate students. The comments or feedback should be sent to feedback.ugcguidelines@gmail.com by November 12, 2023, the notice said.

The draft guidelines state, "A minimum of two to four credits, out of the required minimum of 120 or 160 credits, of a three-year UG degree, four-year UG degree (honours), or four-year UG degree (honours with research), can be assigned for an internship as per the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) and Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programme (CCFUP)."

It has been specified that UG degree programme students must complete a mandatory internship lasting from 60 to 120 hours after their fourth semester.

"The 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.

It was also stated that, "Based on the higher education qualification level descriptors for levels 5.5 and 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."

In the case of students pursuing a three-year UG degree, they are required to complete a mandatory internship spanning 60 to 120 hours after their fourth semester. On the other hand, for those opting for a four-year degree, a mandatory research internship during the eighth semester is essential.

These internships can encompass a wide range of experiences, including regular internships with government or private organizations, non-governmental organizations, businesses, local industries, artists, craftsmen, and similar entities. For research internships, students can engage with faculty, scientists, mentors at higher education institutions (HEIs), research institutions, universities, industrial research labs, well-established national and international organizations, farmers, and entrepreneurs, as outlined in the provided guidelines.

"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 students," the draft guidelines stated.

The NEP-2020 envisions promoting quality research in higher education, and to ensure quality education by higher education institutions (HEIs), research and innovation are two inherently important aspects.

In an internship course, students are required to participate in a work experience, professional activity, or cooperative education activity with an entity external to the education institution, under the supervision of an expert from the given external entity.

The Commission has recommended a variety of sectors for internships, including trade and agriculture, economy and banking, financial services, logistics, information technology, art, design, music, healthcare, life sciences, sports, wellness and physical education, environmental studies, and more.

"The interns will be evaluated by the research internship supervisor based on their efforts and research output, or evaluated through a seminar presentation or viva voce at the HEI," the draft guidelines stated.

The India Skill Report (ISR), 2022, according to the guidelines, highlights that youth employability has improved to 46.2% in 2021 from 45.97% till 2020. Interestingly, 51.44% employability of females was observed compared to 45.97% of males for 2021-22. In 2023, undergraduates in commerce got the highest employability rating at about 60.62%. The reports further mentioned that 88.6% of graduates are looking for internship opportunities. In 2022, 88.42% of respondents in the report gave preference to an internship for gaining experience. It was recorded that 2022 was the year to mark the highest demand for internships since 2016. It is also observed that in India, employers like to hire employees with at least a year of working experience, according to the ISR, 2022.

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