Higher education institutions to adopt new internship guidelines

Noting that total credits assigned to a particular degree programme would continue, a senior official from the Higher Education Department said credits for internship or apprenticeship training would be suitably accommodated in the choice based credit system (CBCS) by universities and colleges.

“Institutions can involve their own mechanism to give credit for internship, but at least 20 per cent of the total credits for the degree programme should be assigned to the internship,” he said.

The higher education institutions would have to ensure that in the internship-embedded degree programme, at least 24 credits were offered as core course which otherwise forms a part of the regular undergraduate programme within CBCS. Citing an example, the official said Bachelor of Business Administration (Logistics - internship) would necessarily have 24 credits (within its 12 core papers) from a subject area.

Institutions should opt for any mechanism for internship assessment in consultation with commercial or non-commercial organisations, he said, adding that internship can also be done within the ambit of National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) operated by Bureau of Apprenticeship Training under Ministry of Education.

“Evaluation of internship can be done by commercial or non-commercial organisations where the apprenticeship is proposed to be imparted by the faculty of the institutions. The future internship will offer traineeship which shall be undertaken not on the campus but at the premises of workplace like commercial or non-commercial organisations to get work-based learning in identified discipline or trade,” he said.

It would be compulsory for the students to pass the internship course, and it would also be mandatory to reappear for failed or uncompleted internship training. The official said the marks secured by the student in the internship course would reflect in the semester and final grade sheet.

All the institutions concerned should compulsorily have an apprenticeship cell with an overall facilitator and counsellor for internship related activities, he said. “The institutions must obtain approval from their academic bodies as required by their statutes,” the official added.