VTU Engineering Students Forced to Pay for Mandatory Internships
In a concerning trend, around 46% of engineering students at colleges affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) are paying host companies for work experience. This situation arises from a mandatory internship program required in their curriculum.
University Takes Share of Internship Fees
Stakeholders have raised serious allegations against VTU. They claim the university takes a direct share of the fees charged by companies offering paid internships. According to established norms, VTU retains 25% of the internship fee paid by a student. The remaining 75% is transferred to the concerned company within twenty working days of student enrollment.
The university has strongly denied profiting from this arrangement. VTU officials state their share is solely meant to cover the cost of maintaining the dedicated internship portal. This portal serves as the single platform for coordinating all internship opportunities for students.
Breakdown of Internship Types and Student Numbers
VTU, the umbrella university for engineering colleges across Karnataka, introduced a compulsory four-month internship program in the seventh semester. The online portal lists internships in three distinct categories.
- Free Internships: Neither the student nor the company has any financial obligation.
- Paid Internships: Students pay companies fees ranging from Rs 500 to over Rs 1.2 lakh.
- Stipend-based Internships: Companies pay students for their work.
University data reveals the scale of the program. A total of 81,000 students are required to complete internships. Out of these, 65,710 have already secured offers. The distribution shows 28,162 students landed free internships, 30,345 opted for paid internships, and 7,203 secured stipend-based positions.
Students Voice Difficulties in Securing Free Placements
Students report increasing difficulty in securing free internships. They describe a frustrating experience on the portal. Some internships are initially marked as free, but upon contact, students are informed the free quota is already full. This often leaves them with no alternative but to choose a paid internship option.
"How can we, as a university, ensure around 80,000 students get internships for free?" asked Vidyashankar S, the Vice-Chancellor of VTU. He emphasized that making students industry-ready is a collective effort. The responsibility, he argued, lies with companies and the government to make internships accessible for all.
University Plans Fee Reduction Amid Criticism
Responding to mounting criticism over the university's share of internship fees, Vice-Chancellor Vidyashankar provided clarification and a future plan. He reiterated that the fee taken by VTU is exclusively for maintaining the internship portal, which is operated by a third party.
In a significant development, he announced the university's intention to reduce its share. "We plan to reduce that share to 10% from the current 25%, starting from the next academic year," Vidyashankar stated. He firmly added, "The university does not intend to make any money from this."
The situation highlights the challenges faced by engineering students in gaining practical experience. It also raises questions about the commercialization of mandatory academic components and the equitable access to professional opportunities.
