Chennai: To increase the employability of engineering graduates coming out of more than 500-odd engineering colleges in the state, the Anna University has asked all the colleges to declare a minimum of 45 holidays annually for students to do internships and prepare for higher studies. For creating this window for internships, the varsity has reduced the semester exam days from 42 to 28 days from this academic year.
In a circular sent to all the principals of affiliated engineering colleges, Anna University Controller of Examinations G.V. Uma asked the colleges to declare winter holidays of two weeks as per the academic schedule. “The students should be given mandatory summer holidays of minimum four weeks prior to the commencement of the next academic year,” the circular said.
“This will enable the students to do internships and prepare for the higher studies,” said S.Ganesan, Registrar, Anna University. “It will also give space to students who want to pursue higher studies abroad as they need to clear exams like GRE and TOEFL,” he said. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has made a four-week internship compulsory for engineering graduates.
Infographic
‘Internship window can be win-win for AU, IT firms’
As per the current tentative schedule, the odd semester exams will commence from October 30 and will end on November 30. For the odd semester, the students will have 17 days of winter holidays from December 1 to 17. The even semester will commence from December 18. It will end in the second week of May.
Earlier, the engineering graduates did not have the separate slot for internships as the examination was conducted for nearly two months. Some colleges also start their next semester in advance. "Now, the university has instructed to all the affiliated colleges to strictly follow the academic schedule and grant winter and summer holidays," a private engineering college principal said. He also expressed doubt whether all the five lakh students who are pursuing engineering in the state can get the internship in companies.
“The IT companies should evolve a training policy for engineering graduates as they have a clear window for internships now. Anna University also needs to review the internship by students and award one credit for it in the semester,” he said.
