Navigating Ideas of NEP-CCF Internship Based on UG Curriculum of University of Calcutta

Name of the Activity: Navigating Ideas of NEP-CCF Internship Based on UG Curriculum of University of Calcutta
Type of Activity: Workshop
Duration of Activity: 1st July 2024, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Resource Persons: Shri Debashis Biswas, Inspector of Colleges, University of Calcutta
Conveners: Dr. Yeasin Sikdar and Ms. Shawni Dutta
No. of Participants: 64 Faculty Members of Various Departments of the college
Objective of the workshop: The workshop was primarily organized with the following objectives in mind:
a. Familiarise the participants with the modalities of newly introduced Internship programmes in UG Curriculum under CCF 2020.
b. Provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the newly introduced Internship programmes in UG Curriculum under CCF 2020.
c. Enable participants to implement meaningful Internship programmes with market linkage.

Brief description of the event:
The workshop on Navigating Ideas of NEP-CCF Internship Based on UG Curriculum of University of Calcutta was organized by the Seminar/FDP/Workshop Committee, Science Section in association with IQAC of the Bhawanipur Education Society College at 5 LLR Sarani, Kolkata 700020. The workshop focused on two distinct areas – (i) modalities, & (ii) meaningful internships.

After a brief welcome address delivered by Dr. Pinki Saha Sardar, VP admin and Science, Teacher-in-Charge, Dr. Subhabrata Ganguly and Dean of Science, Dr. Samir Kanti Dutta highlighted the purpose of the workshop held on the 1st of July 2024. The Dean of Science also suggested to keep uniform structure of the Internship programmes.

Shri Debashis Biswas highlighted the significance of internships in the undergraduate curriculum, noting that with over 90% of the students entering non-academic job markets, these internships create essential market connections that aid in job acquisition. He also emphasized the importance of an exit policy after the first, second, or third year, suggesting that such a policy could lower dropout rates, which is crucial for meeting NAAC accreditation requirements.

Shri Biswas outlined three types of internships that can be offered to the students: (i) Conventional/Traditional internships in fields such as the stock market, news agencies, and the gig economy, (ii) Community engagement where students apply their knowledge to benefit society, and (iii) Field-based learning, including primary surveys. He emphasized that students must complete this 3-credit internship (2 credits – 50 marks for the report and 1 credit – 25 marks for viva) before exiting the course. Additionally, the marks and relevant documents for these internships must be retained for seven years, as per NEP provisions allowing students to return even after exiting. The viva can be conducted by external experts from non-academic fields, referred to by UGC as ‘Professors of Practice’. The college is responsible for sending a requisition to the university with the proposed names of these externals.

He clarified that internships should not be confused with training programs or add-on courses. However, students may participate in online internships depending on their program’s nature. Although the CSR specifies 60 hours or 15 days for internships, this period can be extended to one month. Additionally, he mentioned that while ‘summer internship’ is specified, the university is considering removing the term ‘summer’ to allow internships to be undertaken at any time of the year.
The enlightening talk concluded with a question-and-answer session. The workshop ended with Smt. Debjani Ganguly, Vice Principal of Arts, felicitating the speaker, and a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Sukti Maitra, a faculty member of the Physics Department at BES College.

Outcome of the event:
The workshop was highly successful in achieving its goals of familiarizing participants with the modalities, providing a comprehensive understanding of the internship programmes, and ensuring their successful implementation.