Minister asks AICTE to explore internship opportunities in agriculture & allied fields

Laying emphasis on the need to create more job opportunities and enhance employability of the youth, junior HRD Minister Satyapal Singh today suggested the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to explore internship opportunities in varied fields including agriculture.

Recent initiatives of the AICTE will help students of technical institutes learn new skills in coming years, he said at an event at the council headquarters here.

"The country needs development in other fields besides industry. Internships in agriculture and other such fields could help train a large number of youths in the country. Efforts should be made to start internships in these fields besides technical and professional subjects," he said.

The Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) lamented that overemphasis on getting degrees and diplomas has lowered the standard of education in the country.

"With all efforts focussed on getting degrees and diplomas, the entire education system geared up to meet this need. This system has lowered standard of education," he said.

The minister presented awards to technical institutes with best record of internship in 2018 at the event.

The top three institutes with the best internship records were Manipal Institute of Technology, Maharaja Agrasen Institute Of Technology, and Chandigarh University.

The event was organised to acknowledge the institutes for their efforts in helping students secure internships during the April-July period this year.

Over 8,000 students from more than 1,500 colleges and institutes affiliated to the AICTE landed internships through 'Internshala' in the summer of 2018.

The AICTE has signed agreements with platforms such as Internshala to provide internship opportunities to students of colleges and institutes affiliated to it, said AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe.

Internshala founded by IIT-Madras graduate Sarvesh Agarwal is an internship and training platform used by a large number of students and organisations in the country.