The authorities at the University of Calicut are exploring options related to the launch of a proposed internship portal to help students pursuing four-year-undergraduate programmes (FYUGP).
According to sources, the course monitoring committee had decided earlier this year to launch the portal using which the students can register for internship. This was supposed to help the students belonging to the 2024 and 2025 batch.
The university thereafter called for expression of interest in May from companies that are interested in developing the portal. A technical committee involving experts from the National Institute of Technology-Calicut was subsequently formed, which reportedly selected two companies that can be roped in for the project, in July. However, a final decision is yet to be taken on this, sources say. Meanwhile, students’ organisations such as the Kerala Students Union claim that some companies are charging between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 from the students to do internship.
As per the existing regulations, students pursuing BBA and BCA courses are required to complete 120 hours of internship which will help them earn four credit points each in the third and fourth years. Those in other programmes must complete 60 hours of internship that will give them two credit points. The students are required to complete their internship during the April–May vacation period before entering the fifth semester. However, there have been widespread complaints about students not getting enough opportunities to complete the required 60 hours in companies and industrial units.
Sources close to Vice-Chancellor P. Raveendran’s office say that technical issues related to the launch of the portal are being examined now. The V-C is of the view that financial exploitation of students in the name of offering internship opportunities cannot be allowed.
As per rules, students are allowed to do internship only in companies that are at least 10 years old or in colleges other than their own. The authorities in April had allowed students to do it in their own colleges in the 2025-26 academic year following allegations of financial exploitation and the reported difficulties they faced in travelling to distant places in the scorching summer.
Published – September 30, 2026 08:05 pm IST
