*VTU's Revised Internship Policy Yields Positive Results* Bengaluru: In a move aimed at enhancing the employability of its students, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) had introduced a revised internship policy for its students. The new policy, which was introduced for the 2021 batch, has shown promising outcomes, with around 50% of final-year students completing their internships. As per the new guidelines, students who secure job offers and are required to undergo training by companies can consider the same as internships. However, there are certain criteria that need to be met. Eligible students must have a job offer and training invitation from the company and have finished their seventh semester. The internship, which spans at least 15 weeks (around 90 days), involves periodic reporting and evaluation. This is a significant departure from the earlier one-month internship programs, which were often criticized for lacking meaningful experience. Students are also permitted to do internships outside the state or abroad, provided they obtain the necessary approval from their college. This move is expected to provide students with a wider range of opportunities and exposure to different work cultures. According to VTU special officer S Halbhavi, around half of the final-year university students completed the internship in the seventh semester. "The other half is expected to do it in the upcoming semester. The internship scenario is looking good, with this large number of students able to find internships," he said. Anvith Katil, VTU in-charge of the National Students Union of India, said that colleges were assisting students in finding internships through the National Skill Development Corporation. "This has made internships more rigorous compared to previous one-month programs that lacked meaningful experience," he added. While the new policy has been hailed as a step in the right direction, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. The principal of an engineering college in Bengaluru noted that while colleges might be able to help students find internships in the first year, the challenge is to keep the momentum going in the upcoming years as well. "Getting internships is not easy, especially for colleges in rural areas. Around 40% of our students completed internships in the seventh semester. We need to ensure that our students are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to secure internships and eventually, jobs," the principal said. In case students are unable to find an internship, they can also select skill-enhancement courses whose credits must match that of the internship. However, only around 500 students have opted for this pathway so far. Overall, VTU's revised internship policy seems to be yielding positive results, with a large number of students completing their internships and gaining valuable work experience. *Source:* The Times Of India