Architectural Internship in India

Architectural Internships in India – How can the situation be improved?

Architectural Internship in India

Internships – a quintessential part of an architectural education – are increasingly becoming an unmitigated ordeal for many within the community, affecting both students and practicing architects. Two major reasons can be attributed to this discontentment:

  1. The demand and supply imbalance, with a large number of students competing over very few vacancies – especially factoring in the stark rise in the number of architectural institutes (almost four times as many as those operating even ten years ago) and the guidelines issued for admissible – read, gradable – training experience for the students by their respective schools further limiting the pool of ‘eligible’ firms.
  2. Under-qualification of the student pool, with many architects and firms reporting that most interns lacked even basic know-how and CAD/digital skills and contributed very little to their respective workplaces.

The direct and obvious consequence of these conditions has been unemployment and underemployment among interns and fresher architects. Not only does this limit opportunities for the students, but has also resulted in exploitation in many offices. Schools, largely, seem to be unwilling to take any responsibility for these circumstances.

Stuck in this rut, students have taken to social media to create resource groups, often used for sharing important information and opportunities for growth, but also being used to voice their concerns and vent their frustration. With several posts cropping up recently reporting harrowing details of unfair – and even unethical – treatment at the hands of their employers, online groups have become a hotbed of ‘signal boosting’ posts about exploitative practices, with several eminent architects being embroiled in the controversy.

ArchitectureLive! invites views from the professionals, students and academicians in this regard. The selected views will be published on the Portal. Share your views by filling the form below:

[vfb id=’11’]

2 Responses

Share your comments

Recent

What It Takes to Succeed in Architecture Profession

Anoop Menon writes about architecture as a profession requiring more than talents—critical thinking, problem-solving, and significant financial commitment. He presents an overview of what students should expect from academia and profession in general.

Read More »
Herati village, post-2023 earthquake. © UNDP/ People in centre

Domes of Identity: When Earthquake Challenges Herat’s Earthen Traditions

While the devastating 2023 earthquakes in Herat, Afghanistan, destroyed countless traditional earthen homes, exacerbating vulnerabilities, Juhi Desai and Vivek Rawal, People in Centre (PiC), elaborate on PiC’s reconstruction efforts with UNDP. The focus was on empowering local communities by incorporating hazard-resistant features into familiar building techniques like adobe and domical vaults, bridging tradition and safety.

Read More »