With a critical deadline looming, thousands of engineering students affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) are staring at an uncertain future regarding their mandatory internships. The annual internship is set to begin in just 10 days, but a significant number of companies, especially those offering free training, remain unapproved by the university due to a new registration system.
New Portal Creates Major Bottleneck
This academic year, VTU introduced a new regulation making it compulsory for all companies to register on its official internship portal. Firms must submit complete details of their credentials, registration, and financial status before they can host students for the 15-week internship period. This process involves over 250 engineering colleges across the state.
However, the system appears to have hit a major roadblock. Stakeholders from numerous companies that provide free internships claim they registered on the portal nearly six months ago. Despite this, their applications are still pending, even after the January 10 deadline for internship selection passed.
Allegations of Preferential Treatment for Fee-Charging Firms
A troubling pattern has emerged, raising serious concerns among colleges and students. Companies that charge internship fees ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 from students reportedly received prompt approval from the university. In stark contrast, firms offering free internships continue to wait indefinitely.
"We tried to contact the VTU officials, as students were anxious about their internship," said the head of a leading engineering college in the Mangaluru district. "The ongoing VTU semester exams will end on January 19, and they will commence their internship the next day. However, to date, there is no approval from VTU for the companies that offer internships to our students."
Frustration Mounts Among Company Owners
The head of a software company from Dakshina Kannada, which has offered free internships for seven years, expressed deep frustration. He stated that he has been following up for the last five months without success. "I tried to contact all possible contacts listed in the internship portal but was unable to receive a positive response from VTU," he said.
He further alleged a complete communication breakdown, with repeated calls resulting in blocked numbers. With no development, a group of company owners recently met Assembly Speaker UT Khader to highlight the issue and plan to approach Chief Minister Siddaramaiah soon.
Onboarding Fee Allegations Surface
Adding to the controversy, a college head revealed an alarming incident. An IT company from Udupi, known for providing free internships, decided to stop the program after VTU officials allegedly demanded an 'onboarding fee' for approving their internship request.
"Since the company offers free internships, they said that the onboarding fee will be collected from students. Since the students refused to pay, the firm decided to stop offering the internship," the college head explained. This incident has intensified fears that the new system may inadvertently promote paid internships over free, skill-based training opportunities.
Attempts to get a comment from Vice-Chancellor S Vidyashankar of Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, were unsuccessful. As the clock ticks down, the academic and professional prospects of a generation of engineering students hang in the balance, awaiting urgent resolution from the university authorities.
