Kochi: The state govt's promise of a free undergraduate education is turning out to be a false one as students are made to pay hefty sums for the mandatory internships for the newly introduced four-year degree programmes (FYUGP) mostly to private firms in the absence of a clear regulatory framework.
What was envisioned as structured industry exposure in the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme has instead created a parallel market for internships, with companies charging fees, pushing paid courses and deploying students as low-cost labour. Students, teachers and university officials now warn that a system meant to enhance employability is rapidly turning into an avenue for institutionalised financial exploitation.
The higher education department, through Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) — a statutory body established by the state govt to advise, coordinate and implement reform in higher education — launched ‘Internship Kerala' portal last Oct to centralise placements for FYUGP students. The platform has listed approved firms in the state that offer internships, promising "hands-on industry experience."
TOI visited some of those companies only to notice a disturbing reality: Many of the firms are small shops that operate primarily as training centres offering IT-related courses alongside internships. All these centres charge substantial fees for the internships while genuine stipend-based opportunities remain scarce.
"Internships Available for FYUGP Students" reads an advertisement board of a small-scale firm in Kochi offering IT- and marketing-related courses. The firm, which is registered on the website, claims to provide an internship in an IT-related field and charges Rs 10,000 from each student who enrols for the internship. Critics say such firms, which officially claim to provide industrial exposure, often end up running paid programmes of their choice rather than meaningful workplace learning.
Rifa Fathima, a second-year student at SMSTM Arts and Science Women's College at Athavanad in Malappuram said the internship component has added to the uncertainty already surrounding FYUGP.
"There were no clear instructions on how to enrol for internships. Even teachers are unsure. The govt portal mostly lists options that demand high fees, which many of us cannot afford. Internships that offer stipends or don't charge students are very limited," Fathima said.
Merlia Saji, a second-year archaeology student at St Mary's College, Kottayam, said she has been searching eagerly for a free internship programme in the subject at a reputable firm, but her search has not yet yielded results.
A second-year student from Govt Victoria College, Palakkad, said: "I don't know where to find internships. When I looked at the internship portal, I could find only paid ones. Many of my friends and I are not able to pay the fee internships."
Students from arts streams say placements aligned with their academic disciplines are particularly hard to find. Faculty members also admit they are struggling to keep pace with the hurried implementation of the programme. A Malayalam language teacher at a Thrissur college affiliated to Calicut University said on condition of anonymity that confusion prevails at every level.
"To ensure students don't lose credits, some are being registered as volunteers at cultural or educational institutions. Whether this actually provides skill development is unclear," the teacher said.
Concerns have escalated beyond campuses. Rasheed Ahammed P, a Calicut University syndicate member associated with Indian Union Muslim League, said he had formally raised the issue with Kerala governor Rajendra Arlekar, who is also the chancellor of state universities.
He described the current situation as "institutionalised financial exploitation."
"At a time when higher education reforms are being projected as progressive and inclusive, imposing new financial burdens under the guise of internships is unjust and morally indefensible," Rasheed said. He alleged that the existing system encourages corruption and collusion, enabling private profiteering at students' expense. "Such practices must be exposed and dealt with firmly," he added.
A further look at the Internship Kerala portal suggests that apart from a handful of credible organisations, many listed firms appear to treat internships as revenue streams — either by assigning students to their incomplete projects or by using placements as entry points to sell additional courses.
Amruth G Kumar, professor of education at Central University of Kerala, said internships were meant to offer structured industry exposure that prepares students for employment in relevant sectors. Implementing them without a policy framework risks undermining that goal.
"Without clear guidelines, firms will mushroom simply to generate income. This becomes counterproductive," Kumar said. He also questioned the process by which companies were empanelled on the govt portal.
"What parameters were used? Was an expert committee formed to evaluate whether these firms really provide industrial experience? Listing a company on a govt website automatically gives it legitimacy," he said.
While a significant number of students from financially affluent families in Kerala pursue higher education outside the state or abroad, those enrolling in the FYUGP in govt and aided higher education institutions largely come from middle- and lower-middle-income households. This socio-economic divide has intensified concerns among students and academics.
Students and educators are now demanding transparent accreditation norms, mandatory vetting of internship providers and clear academic guidelines. They also call for an expansion of stipend-based opportunities, particularly for students from economically weaker backgrounds as they argue that the current programme risks normalising a pay-to-learn model — where academic credits come at a price and students bear the cost of policy gaps.
When TOI contacted the senior members of KSHEC, they informed that Keltron, which has expertise in the field, has been given the contract to set up the portal and that the council has not provided any guidelines in the selection of private firms.
"Students are encouraged to enrol through the portal to take up internships in various industries. Only reputed firms are currently offering internships through the platform. Some private firms that failed to get listed on the portal are now raising criticism. We have approached Keltron and are also in discussions with the state govt to bring all PSUs onto the portal to list internship opportunities," the official said.
The official also added that providing internships for traditional arts and science courses other than professional courses was a challenge and it will be addressed by the portal.
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