HYDERABAD: HRD minister Prakash Javadekar’s announcement to make three internships mandatory for every engineering student during their course of study has been met with positivity by students and teachers. Welcoming the move, Goutham Rao, president of the Engineering Colleges Association said, “The curriculum does not encourage internships. If a student opts for internship it is because of his or her personal interest. The state government must initiate the process as most industries do not take students as interns. Through internships, students can explore different options even as they are studying, which will help them make a sound choice of career.”
Experts believe that this step will give engineering students the much-needed practical experience that medical and pharma students have with on-field orientations during their course of study. JNTU registrar N. Yadaiah said, “We are yet to receive an action plan from the Centre regarding its’ decision. However, the implementation of internships in the engineering curriculum will be a welcome change. Most graduates do not have a basic understanding of engines, software, how power stations work and so on which can be rectified by industrial interaction. Industries should offer support to engineering students and collaborations should increase.”
Experts say that internships will encourage students to not opt for run-of-the-mill jobs. Besides, start-ups that offer internships often offer jobs after graduation. Prof. G. Haragopal, educational expert, said, “It will open up a lot of options for students. However, education is not merely about skill. We shouldn’t bring down the curriculum to these three internships. We should try to guarantee a larger exposure for students so that they can link knowledge with skill.”
Students claim that hands-on experience in a firm will give a much- needed boost to their morale. Mr Anirudh Suresh said, “Start-ups often hire freshers. If you have an internship in your pocket when you approach start-ups, it is an added bonus. Three internships will mean a variety of experiences and the engineering student will definitely get to know the field better. The spin-off is that the number of jobs in the market is limited but it will encourage healthy competition between students who will vie for internships within their specialisation areas.”
