According to officials, the Delhi University will launch a paid internship programme for undergraduate and graduate students this academic year in an effort to deliver a comprehensive education in line with the National Education Policy (NEP). The objective of Vice Chancellor Internship Scheme (VCIS) is to impart training on soft and hard skills by integrating cognitive knowledge with experiential learning, VC Yogesh Singh said. All full-time regular students of the University of Delhi studying in any course at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels will be eligible to apply for VCIS.

The internship will be available throughout the year based on the requirements of the departments, centres and institutes of the Delhi University, according to official document. "The scheme is a unique experience in helping students broaden their mental faculties by learning skills and inculcating a sense of responsibility towards the university system. "It is a method to intertwine holistic knowledge with the innovative avenues of earning while learning the nitty gritty of academics and administration," Singh added.

The selection of students will be based on an interview and the total proposed number of interns in both categories is 200. The office of the Dean of Students' Welfare has been entrusted with the responsibility to facilitate VCIS at Delhi University. The number of the interns may periodically be changed after review and recommendation by DSW following the approval of the Vice Chancellor, officials said. "It will pave the way to achieve the objectives of Samagra Shiksha (holistic education) enlisted in the NEP 2020. It will allow young students to be associated with the university's work for mutual benefit. It will expose university students to the several departments, centres and institutes existing within the University of Delhi," the document mentioned.

Under VCIS, there would be two kinds of internship -- a regular and a summer internship. A summer internship will be offered during summer vacation for eights weeks. It may contain a flexible 15-20 hours per week. Meanwhile, a (regular) internship during the academic session may contain a flexible 8-10 hours per week, it said. "VCIS can be availed by a student only once during a course of study at the University of Delhi. The maximum period of an internship shall not exceed six months under any circumstances from the time of joining," the document mentioned. The regular intern will receive the striped of 5,000 per month while the summer intern will get Rs 10,000 per month. Stipend will be enhanced by five per cent each financial year, it said. A certificate from the DSW at the end of the internship tenure and the appraisal report from the concerned employing department, centres, and institutes will be given.

The document mentioned that the interested applicants will have to register online, and the duly submitted application will be valid for a maximum of six months. Interested students will have specify and indicate the specific domains and areas of interest. "Applicants may indicate three preferences of specific domain/areas of interest while applying for VCIS. The applicants must upload a letter of recommendation (LOR) and no objection certificate (NOC) from their head of the department of the college while applying for the internship," the document mentioned. A student can apply only once for an internship in an academic year under the prestigious VCIS and selection will be strictly based on the interview and letter of recommendation, it added.