Under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which mandates internships for both Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) students, all colleges and universities in Maharashtra will now be required to establish dedicated Internship Cells. The state’s Higher and Technical Education Department has introduced an Internship Policy, aligning with NEP 2020, for all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The policy not only makes the Internship Cell mandatory for all HEIs but also outlines its structure, different types of internships, and various responsibilities. It includes proforma for student evaluation, covering attendance, performance reviews, feedback, and other data management.
The department has released the draft policy, inviting suggestions from HEIs. As per the draft policy, each HEI’s Internship Cell will be overseen by the Internship Governing Council, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Dean, or Principal. The council will include a Nodal Officer and Assistant Coordinators.
The Cell will also feature Department-level Faculty Coordinators, and Student Coordinators will be appointed from each department for efficient outreach.
The Internship Cell’s primary objectives include identifying projects aligned with local and overall industry needs and creating a pool of available internships. Recognizing the diverse nature of courses, the state has outlined various activities considered internship opportunities.
These range from regular industrial or government company internships and working with NGOs or MSMEs to gaining entrepreneurship or innovation experience, participating in research projects (both industrial and academic), and engaging in community service or rural internships.
The draft states, “During the internship registration, the students are to notify their preference on whether they are seeking academic or industrial internships. It must be noted that 1 credit is equivalent to a minimum of 30 hours of work. An intern is expected to spend 30 hours per week on an internship and related activities.” Students will have opportunities for internships in summers, winters, and semester-integrated formats to fulfill required credits.
