Technical Institutes in Karnataka Raise Alarm Over VTU Internship Portal
The Karnataka Technical Training Institutes Association has voiced serious concerns about Visvesvaraya Technological University's internship portal. They claim the approval process has become unclear and overly centralized. This situation creates significant delays and uncertainties for internship schedules and compliance requirements.
Centralized Authority and Lack of Access
The association states that final approval authority for companies and internship programs on the portal rests with just one executive council member. They allege this individual is unreachable by phone, email, or messages. This inaccessibility jeopardizes time-sensitive approvals crucial for students and institutes.
In a formal email, the association pointed out that individuals currently managing the portal lack decision-making power. This bottleneck exacerbates the problem, leaving many requests in limbo.
Governance and Development Concerns
The association has raised governance issues regarding the portal's development and operation. They allege a private company, linked to a former VTU executive council member, developed the portal. This connection warrants independent scrutiny.
The same individual exercises exclusive authority over approving and rejecting companies and internship programs listed on the portal, the association stated. They call for an investigation into whether a transparent tendering process was followed and if proper checks and balances exist.
Preferential Treatment Allegations
College heads report the portal has started approving some companies. However, confusion persists about whether all internship requests will receive approval. The association alleges preferential treatment toward one private training organization.
This organization reportedly secured approval for over 400 internship programs across Karnataka. Meanwhile, smaller local institutes with adequate infrastructure and faculty face rejections or prolonged delays.
Student Pressure and Financial Models
The complaint cites reports from students and faculty. Some colleges allegedly direct or pressure students to join internships offered by the favored organization. These internships were initially presented as free but later linked to paid course enrollments.
The association further alleges colleges receive incentives for routing students to this single provider. They also question VTU's financial model for paid internships.
Institutes offering internships must sign Memorandums of Understanding. These MoUs require payment of a commission to VTU, plus GST on that commission. Because fees are collected through VTU, even small institutes that would normally be GST-exempt are affected.
Deadline Extension and University Response
Following backlash from colleges, VTU extended the internship application deadline. The new last date is January 20, moved from the earlier January 10. This extension came after a TOI report highlighted how internship delays left thousands of engineering students in limbo.
S Vidyashankar, the vice-chancellor of VTU, was unavailable for comment regarding these allegations.
