Internships are optional for IIT Delhi Students

IIT Delhi seems to have taken a bold step this year by making Internships optional for students. The students of third year can now opt for live projects in the subjects of their choice or even pick up a hobby project after consulting with department authorities. Until now, it was mandatory for the students to take a 10-week internship with companies; which typically resulted into these companies offering jobs.

It might be that the institute now wants students to take up entrepreneurship a bit more seriously. A lot of IITans are starting companies right out of college and removal of compulsory internships might accelerate formation of new projects and companies out of the college.

Other IITs viz. IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur have continued with internships. There's an opinion that Internships prepare students for the corporate world they will enter into after graduation. That brings us to an important discussion point : Are internships helpful and has IIT Delhi taken a step in right direction by making internships optional for students?