What New Initiatives Has NHAI Unveiled to Shape Future Professionals?
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New Delhi, Jan 9 (NationPress) The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education, has announced the launch of the 'NHAI Internship Programme'. This initiative aims to act as a stepping stone for aspiring professionals to acquire real-world, hands-on experience within the vast ecosystem of National Highway development in India.
In addition, NHAI has rolled out a specialized Internship Portal that will serve as a comprehensive platform, providing internship openings across more than 150 significant National Highway (NH) projects throughout the nation.
Every project will host up to four interns, creating a potential pool of around 600 students from prestigious institutions such as IITs, NITs, and other AICTE affiliated colleges across the country, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The Portal offers internship durations of one month, two months, and six months, tailored to meet diverse academic and industry needs.
All interns selected for the programme will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000 to aid in their learning, mobility, and professional development, as noted by the minister.
This programme promises to deliver in-depth insights and practical experience regarding the planning, engineering, and execution of National Highways.
While the programme primarily targets Civil Engineering students, there are also opportunities for those studying IT, Electronics, and Electrical Engineering, especially in advanced areas like Advanced Traffic Management Systems and Electronic Toll Collection.
The 'Winter Internship' under this programme has already garnered significant interest, with approximately 250 students participating.
Moreover, about 500 applications have been submitted for the six-month final-year undergraduate internship programme.
As per an official statement, the Ministry of Higher Education has introduced the National Education Policy 2020, which promotes experiential learning, industry exposure, and enhances employability through a flexible curriculum and credit-linked internships, alongside extended internships in the final year of undergraduate studies.
“In line with the ethos of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the internship programme is designed to extend beyond mere observational learning. Interns will engage actively in projects, gaining crucial field-based exposure to both technical and managerial aspects of National Highway development,” the ministry stated.