Internships have been made mandatory for undergraduate students in Maharashtra from the upcoming academic year, as part of the state’s implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The initiative, aimed at enhancing industry exposure and informed career decisions among students, is being viewed as a step in the right direction. However, concerns have been raised by colleges over its feasibility due to the sheer scale and limited internship opportunities available.
As per the policy, students from all streams—including Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, and Management—are required to complete 120 hours of On-Job Training (OJT) during their second and third year. The training is tied to academic credit, with four credits to be awarded on successful completion. Over 75,000 students across more than 900 colleges affiliated to the University of Mumbai are expected to be placed in internships starting May 2025.
To facilitate this, OJT cells have been mandated in every college. These cells are expected to coordinate placements in various sectors, including industry, research, entrepreneurship, community engagement, and with government or non-profit organisations. However, colleges have reported that companies are not legally required to accept interns, and many lack the resources or structure to supervise them. As a result, only a fraction of students have been successfully placed so far.
To address this gap, efforts have been made by colleges to widen their network. Parents of students have been approached for leads through their workplaces. Some colleges have considered recognising articleships under chartered accountancy programmes as valid OJT. Meanwhile, students from traditional courses such as history and science have been encouraged to intern at museums, research labs, and tourism departments. Field visits and skill-building workshops have been planned by the University of Mumbai as alternative forms of experiential learning.
The need for government and university intervention has been widely voiced. It was stated by the state’s higher education department that a ‘Government Internships’ programme is being aligned with the OJT requirement, and discussions with other states and industry bodies are underway. The university has reportedly signed multiple MoUs with public and private organisations, and support from district collectors is being considered.
Calls for legal backing have also been made by education experts, who believe that mandatory industry quotas for interns may be required to ensure proper execution and student safety. While the intention of the policy has been appreciated, its practical implementation continues to face significant hurdles.