Interns may or may not be paid stipend as the programme does not have budget of its own
At a time of soaring unemployment and few prospects for new entrants into the labour force, the Centre has launched a scheme to provide internship opportunities with smart cities and urban local bodies for 25,000 fresh graduates, mostly from technical courses. However, there is no guarantee that these interns will get paid any stipend.
“Students come for internships for the purpose of gaining valuable experience. It makes them market ready, after which they may go on to jobs in the private sector or elsewhere. It will give them multiple options,” said Hardeep Puri, Minister for Housing and Urban Development (MoHUA), when asked about stipend and employment possibilities for these interns.
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He was speaking at the launch of the TULIP (The Urban Learning Internship Programme) portal on Thursday. The scheme is a five-year joint venture between MoHUA and the All India Council for Technical Education, and the fulfilment of a promise made in the 2020 Budget speech.
City administrations can register available opportunities on the portal, ranging from positions in urban planning or water supply and waste management to slum improvement and digital governance. Applicants must be Indian citizens who have completed their final year of college within the last 18 months. Internship durations can range from eight weeks to one year.
Source: The Hindu
