In a significant move to standardize and enhance the internship experience for engineering students, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has launched a centralized internship portal and mandated its use across all affiliated colleges.
The shift, effective from June 2025, impacts thousands of students and aims to ensure transparency, credibility, and genuine skill development. Here’s everything you need to know about the new VTU internship portal and what it means for the student community.
Why VTU Introduced a Centralized Internship Portal
For years, students in VTU-affiliated colleges sourced internships independently—sometimes securing certificates without real industry exposure. VTU has now taken a firm stand against such practices by rolling out a centralized internship platform to:
- Eliminate fraudulent or fake internships
- Ensure that internships offer real-world, skill-based experiences
- Provide transparency and accountability
- Enable easier monitoring and validation by colleges and mentors
“The whole idea is to bring in transparency, uniformity, and quality in the internship process,” said VTU Vice-Chancellor S Vidyashankar.
What the Internship Portal Offers
The portal, developed by VTU, is designed as a one-stop platform for all internship-related activities. It already features:
- 150+ registered organizations, including top industries, R&D labs, and centers of excellence
- 10,000 active internships, with a goal to reach 50,000 by August 2025
- Collaboration with AICTE, expanding access to over 1 lakh companies
- Three internship types:
- Stipend-based internships
- Free internships
- Paid internships (companies charging students)
Mandatory Use & Registration Process
As per the VTU circular dated June 2, 2025, students must secure internships only through the centralized portal. However, if a student sources an internship externally—say through personal or professional networks—they must still register it on the portal and obtain university approval.
The university has formed a committee to vet companies, assessing:
- Years of operation
- Industry credibility
- Skill relevance
- Domain expertise
This additional step ensures every internship—on or off the portal—meets VTU’s quality standards.
Real-Time Monitoring With Internship Diaries
A standout feature of the new platform is the internship diary. Students are required to update their daily activities and progress. This diary will be accessible to:
- College principals
- Faculty mentors
- VTU authorities
This feature promotes accountability, regular monitoring, and timely intervention in case of issues, ensuring that learning outcomes are achieved over the mandatory 16-week internship duration in the 7th or 8th semester.
Addressing a Major Skill Gap
For long, engineering internships were reduced to a formality—sometimes even a paid certificate. But with this step, VTU signals a firm shift toward outcome-oriented learning.
“Basically, students weren’t acquiring any skills. But the university wants students to have serious internships to make sure they become employable,” said Rakesh G, VTU Executive Council Member.
The portal is expected to facilitate internships for over 70,000 engineering students every year, bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practice.
Benefits for Students, Institutions, and Industry
Students:
- Access to verified and meaningful internships
- Increased employability through real-world skills
- Structured mentorship and progress tracking
Colleges:
- Unified platform for monitoring and compliance
- Improved placement outcomes
- Enhanced institutional credibility
Industry Partners:
- Direct access to vetted talent pools
- Collaboration with academia for skill development
- Participation in curriculum enrichment
Final Thoughts
The new VTU internship portal represents a paradigm shift in engineering education across Karnataka. By focusing on genuine learning, skill-building, and transparency, VTU is aligning with national education priorities and global employability standards.
For students of the 2022 batch and beyond, this is a welcome opportunity to engage meaningfully with industry, and to graduate not just with a degree—but with practical skills that matter.
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