AICTE fiat to institutes: Don't insist on mandatory student internships

Hyderabad: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) directed all the educational institutions approved by it to ask their students not to take up any internships outside the organisations, involving travel, contact with outsiders etc.

The apex technical higher education regulator on Friday said that given the current situation of nation-wide lockdown due to Covid-19, it has asked all the institutions approved by the Council to abide by "all the social distancing guidelines and other measure promulgated by Centre and respective State governments."

Against this backdrop, it said to instruct the students not to take up the mandatory internship outside the organisations which involves travel, contact with outsiders, etc.

However, ongoing internships, where companies are allowing students to work from home may be continued, it added.

Further, internships help in creating conditions conducive to the quest for knowledge and its applicability in work.

To positively engage students who are not able to get internships in the current situation of lockdown, all colleges and institutes should give challenging problems as an internship to such students which can be worked upon by them from their respective homes.

Once the situation improves, AICTE will issue further orders regarding the compliance of mandatory internships policy of AICTE, it said.