Internships for engineering students has been in news for some time. But the latest news is that the students have to do at least three internships.

These internships are to be of 4-8 weeks and are to take place before graduation

As per the new action plan of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), every engineering student has to do three internships, each spanning 4-8 weeks before completing their undergraduate course. AICTE has fixed the responsibility of helping students find internships at suitable industry or organisation on the respective institutions.

This was announced by union minister of state for human resource development Mahendranath Pandey in the Lok Sabha.

VTU vice-chancellor K Karisiddappa said it was a good move as students take internships seriously and it will also help them in their career. “Other states might not make internships compulsory, but we at VTU feel that every single student should get hands-on experience in the industry they are focusing on. We have designated mentors who will monitor the students’ progress on a timely basis,” the VC said. Currently, VTU asks a student to go for a single internship spanning four weeks but when AICTE rule comes into place, VTU might have to extend internship options over three years.

Pandey also said that the AICTE will join hands with each state for assessing the demand-supply situation projected for the next 10 years.

This will be a guiding document while approving new institutions by the AICTE. The apex body has also proposed that every student, on admission, would be put through a mandatory induction training to reinforce the fundamental concepts and the required language skills required for the technical education. The model curriculum and the periodicity of this induction training will be notified shortly.

Revision of curriculum

AICTE has also proposed that the curriculum needs to be changed every year. Mahendranath Pandey, the union minister of state for human resource development, said that every affiliating technical university shall constitute subject-wise industry consultation committee with the mandate of examining the existing curriculum and for making suitable changes in the curriculum every year.

This process shall be completed in December each year for the courses to be offered in the coming academic year.

Each institution, while applying for approval, should certify completion of this process, which will be mandatory.

“Technology is changing so rapidly that by the time the curriculum is discussed, drafted and published, the technology would have become obsolete. With many varsities still sticking to the old formula of modifying the curriculum once in a few years, the new rule will definitely be a game-changer,” said a VTU professor who did not want to be named.

Industry readiness

The minister also said that all students passing out of undergraduate courses would be imparted technical and soft skills required for working in the industry encompassing managerial skills, entrepreneurial skills, leadership skills, communication skills, team-working skills and technical skills.

“There shall be efforts at every level for promoting innovation and creativity in the students. Innovation drives like hackathons shall be promoted so that innovative ideas can emerge that can be incubated in the start-up centres.”

Training of teachers

Every teacher in each technical education discipline should mandatorily undergo an annual refresher course delivered through SWAYAM portal, encapsulating all the major advances in the field of their study.

Similarly, there should be leadership training to the heads of the institutions once in two years. These trainings would also be hosted through the SWAYAM platform, the minister said.

“At least half of all the programmes in technical institutions shall be accredited through the NBA before 2022. Unless there is credible progress each year, the approval of the institutions can be refused. In order to assist the institutions in meeting the mandatory requirements for applying for accreditation, a separate mechanism will be put in place,” the minister added.

Date: Aug 12, 2017

Source: Bangalore Mirror

  Engineering Colleges, Internships