BRIDGING EDUCATIONAL GAPS WITH INTERNSHIPS

RECENT media reports on student placements at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) paint a grim picture.

Nearly 8,000 students across the 23 IIT campuses are struggling to secure employment, prompting the institutes to seek help from their alumni networks. Even those who have found jobs are dissatisfied with the packages. The commonly cited reasons for this bleak placement season include economic challenges, technological advancements, and companies adopting a cautious hiring approach.

The predicament of students graduating from India's creme de la creme institutions grappling to find a foothold in the job market is disturbing. This situation raises questions about our quality of education. If IIT students lack the essential skills to succeed, what can we anticipate from other institutions in the country, especially those with restricted resources and infrastructure? Our education system primarily focuses on classroom interactions, premised on the belief that colleges and universities are the primary spaces for knowledge acquisition.

This traditional notion remains deeply ingrained in higher education. It is disheartening that even postgraduate students are forced to attend lectures throughout the day, leaving little room for hands-on training.