New: Undergraduate Internship Guidelines from the UGC

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced draft rules on Tuesday that make internships mandatory for undergraduate students studying certain degrees. Students will obtain academic credit for their internship work if they follow these standards. This decision is consistent with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places a major emphasis on integrating research and internships into the undergraduate curriculum, allowing students to gain hands-on experience.

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Duration of the internship

According to the requirements, after completing the fourth semester of an undergraduate degree program, students must do a 60-120-hour internship. Three-year undergraduate degrees, four-year undergraduate degrees (Honours), and four-year undergraduate degrees (Honours with Research) will fully comply with the provisions contained in NEP-2020, the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF), and the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programme (CCFUP).

Internship credit allocation

According to the current rules, internships can be allocated a minimum of two to four credits out of the total 120/160 credits required for a three-year degree, four-year degree (Honours), or four-year UG degree (Honours with Research). The National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) and the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes (CCFUP) are used to assign these credits.

Research orientation

The guidelines emphasize the significance of instilling research-oriented competencies in students. They advise students to enroll in Research Ability Enhancement Courses (RAEC) and work on a research internship project to accomplish this. After the fourth semester, an internship lasting 60 to 120 hours is required for individuals pursuing a three-year undergraduate degree. During the eighth semester of their four-year degree programs, students will be required to do a research internship.

Internship opportunities

While regular internships can be obtained with government or private organizations, non-governmental organizations, enterprises, business organizations, local industries, artists, craftspeople, and similar entities, research internships allow students to work with faculty, scientists, mentors in higher education institutions (HEIs), research institutions, universities, industrial research labs, nationally and internationally renowned organizations, farmers, and similar entities.

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Institutional responsibility

Each Higher Education Institution (HEI) is supposed to appoint a nodal officer in charge of designing internship verticals that correspond to the specific needs and desires of the local market. HEIs should undertake surveys to understand the expectations of companies and students to define these verticals.

Diverse verticals

The guidelines recommend a variety of internship specialties, including, among others, commerce and agriculture, finance and banking, logistics, IT, art, design, music, healthcare and the life sciences, sports, wellness, physical education, and the environment.

Student evaluation

Interns will be evaluated based on their efforts and research output by their research internship supervisors. Students may also be evaluated at the HEI through seminar presentations or viva voce examinations.

According to the India Skill Report (ISR), 2022, young employability increased from 45.97 percent in 2020 to 46.2 percent in 2021. Notably, during 2021-22, women had an employability rate of 51.44 percent compared to 45.97 percent for men. Commerce undergraduates had the greatest employability rate in 2023, at 60.62 percent. According to the research, 88.6 percent of grads are actively looking for internship opportunities.

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