Students' Corner

Dear Students,

 

LAST WEEK WE ASKED:  Do you think the summer internship period at institutions should be increased from two months to six months?

 

BEST RESPONSE 

 

Summer internships essentially focus on developing insight relevant to practical experience. Usually, two months is sufficient for student to assimilate technical know-how thereby leaving ample scope for much important classroom studies. An extended duration of six months would simply debase in bridging the gap between classroom and industry. Also, it would become an insurmountable burden for organization, interns being beginners do not form resource pool for industry rather involve time and money in imparting training. Additionally, they may pose security risk to organization with intricacies being revealed to members other than full time employees.

- Shivam Chhabra, Integral University, Lucknow.

 

OTHER RESPONSES

 

Theoretically, the idea will assist more in putting in practice what student has learnt, but our education system allows two months only. Increasing it to six months will lead to bureaucratic rigmarole. This increase will lead to increase in duration of course which practically no one desires. Internship per se is good, but student is paid very less. Moreover, largely students and organisation don't take it seriously. Hence, apprenticeship and on the job training should be given preference. 

- Nilaya Mitash Shanker, IIT Roorkee.

 

Apparently, increasing the period of internship programs is a vital idea, as internship gives a candidate a taste of professional life and allows him to get ahead in his career before even leaving the university. A candidate can learn from experienced colleagues, which helps him make a smooth transition from student to professional. On top of that, it is a way to enhance your CV with practical work experience. Also, during internship training a candidate can decide his career path. But remuneration for interns is also an important aspect, as many of the candidates can’t afford working for free.

- Kunal Seth, DAVV, Indore.

 

Engineering students show lack of interest unless there is motivation involved during their internship. Involving with the live project, boost them towards technical depth for which six months period would be more appropriate. For post graduate student due to lack of time-frame, two months intern is quite decent. But after completion of course there should be 3-4 weeks internship at rural areas, which will be win-win situation for both, as students are exposed to manage the bottom most and complicated layer of the market and  in return society will reap the benefits of country's learned  graduates.

- Saumay Gupta, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU, Gandhinagar.

 

The situation poses a dilemma for students students who wish for being more practical in learning but at the same time, with an exception of top B-schools, don't earn enough stipends. The interns since not being offered much stipend or incentives, tend to prefer a two months internship.  

- Rakshit Maheshwari, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU, Gandhinagar.

 

A student is expected to exhibit skills and innovations with resourceful inputs in a substantive project with a significant opportunity to contribute to the enterprise through a well documented project report at the end of a Summer Internship, while working directly for an entrepreneur or another senior executive.  Even the top notch global management institutes consider the two month period as sufficient, though their emphasis lies on visits to emerging economies like China, India and Singapore. The Indian B-schools could perhaps take a leaf out of those and diversify the content of the internships rather than expanding the duration vertically.

- Anuraag Kalita, XIME, Bangalore.

 

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:  Amidst inflationary trends, is it justifiable for institutes to increase fees this year?

 

Your responses should reach us at edu@business-standard.com by Monday evening every week. Please ensure that your responses do not exceed 100 words. Avoid attachments and email your full name, institute's name, batch and complete mailing address. The student who gives the 'Best Response' will be awarded Rs 500.