Intending to create a skilled workforce, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) today announced that more than one lakh internship opportunities would be provided by reputed companies like Salesforce, CISCO, Mahatma Gandhi National Council for Rural Education (MGNCRE) and RSB Transmission India Limited. This was announced by the Hon. Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan here in Shastri Bhavan.

Increasing the employable opportunities for the students is the highest priority of the Ministry of Education, and for that, the AICTE has created its Internship Portal (https://internship.aicte-india.org) to facilitate the students in getting suitable internship opportunities for integrating classroom knowledge and theory with practical application.

Launching the internship scheme, Shri Pradhan said: “I must take this opportunity to congratulate the companies for contributing to nation-building. It is commendable that they have taken the responsibility of training college-going Engineering and Humanities students. We would like to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio from 27% to 65. I am happy that the wheels of the chariot of the National Educational policy 2020 have started rolling with the launch of this programme. Every matured economy needs a skilled workforce. In this year’s budget, a lot of emphasis has been put on creating and I think such programmes will help in creating a skilled workforce.”

Thanking the corporates in their role in nation-building, AICTE Chairman, Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe said: “It is very exciting that we are signing of one lakh internship opportunities. There is a common link here with all these companies. Salesforce does customer relationships, and all our students must learn it. Cisco is in the business of networking and cyber security. Networking and customer relationships are powerful tools for generating employment and entrepreneurship. The third is transmission (RSB) that we apply in rural India with MGNCRE to make our villages self-sufficient and drive the economy. I hope all get benefits from this platform and I would also urge companies to increase internship opportunities on a YOY basis.”

Currently, the AICTE has 15.1 Lakhs + Internships available on the portal (Full Time/Part Time/ Virtual Mode Internship) from various ministries, government departments, private companies, start-ups, and MSMEs.

The AICTE has formulated its internship policy for students of technical education, which mandates internships for all UG/ Diploma students. A minimum of 14-20 credits of Internship/ Entrepreneurial activities / Project work/ Seminar and Inter/ Intra Institutional Training / NSQF levels 3, 4 & 5 may be counted toward UG Degree programme (Out of total 160 Credits of 4 Year UG Programme) and 10-14 credits for three-year Diploma Programme (Out of total 120 Credits of 3 Year Diploma Programme). One credit is equivalent to a minimum of 40-45 hours of work.