The much-awaited Summer Research Internship Programme (SRIP) at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) is around the corner. The application process has started and the last date for submitting the applications is February 25. The institute offers specific research projects to students from all over the country as part of the SRIP. The Institute supports the students by providing a weekly stipend and a hostel accommodation.
Students from prominent institutions across India have participated in the SRIP since its inception. These include other IITs, notably IIT Roorkee, Delhi, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Madras, BHU and Guwahati; NITs at Durgapur, Hamirpur, Warangal, Rourkela, Surat, Allahabad and Bhopal; as well as other prominent colleges of engineering, sciences and humanities and social sciences. A notable feature of SRIP in keeping with the Institute ethos is that the SRIP interns can work on a project that cuts across more than one disciplines. The SRIP interns are treated at par with the regular students of the Institute, and can engage in all academic and extracurricular activities of their interest throughout the summer.
The journey of SRIP has been an interesting one, replete with surprises. The programme was initiated in 2011, and was aimed at increasing the visibility of the Institute by opening its gates to a larger audience. Back then, the programme was limited to the state of Gujarat. In its second edition in 2012, it attracted nearly 700 applications from various states. Of these, 35 were selected to work on 12 projects. The application process was made online in the following year, and it saw a whopping 5,000 applications. Thus, the programme grew from strength to strength over the years and is a major attraction among the students outside IIT.
The programme has grown by leaps in the recent years due to increase in faculty strength, publication of work originating from previous editions of SRIP and wider knowledge of the programme. In this regard, the programme is expected to be a crucial element in the Institute’s efforts towards attracting strong researchers and scholars to its postgraduate programmes of study. Last year, a total of 8,257 internship applications were received for 70 projects offered by 40 faculty members at IIT Gandhinagar, resulting in an average of 100+ applications per project. A total of 122 students were selected for the programme. Apart from the research work, SRIP lectures, workshops and cultural activities keep the students motivated and engaged.
The expectations from the SRIP interns are quite high. Every participant is required to submit a research proposal within a week of joining the programme. They are encouraged to maintain an online diary and a bi-weekly record to keep track of their own progress. At the end of the programme, every participant submits a report comprising the work done over the summer. Besides their immediate supervisor, each intern also gets to interact one-on-one with a member of the Undergraduate Research Committee, which helps the committee understand and address concerns related to the stay of the students at the campus, availability of resources, or other factors that keep the student from realising their best. The programme has been very popular, a testimony of which is the students’ feedback.
Working as a research intern under summer internship programme of IIT Gandhinagar has been a rich experience with lot of learning academically as well as otherwise. The work has taught me that persistence and determination is the key for getting through a research paper. You get stuck time and again at various points of time but your determination is what makes you successful. I am very thankful to my guide and the Institute for giving me such an opportunity and enriching experience.
Aditi SharmaI had a wonderful time at IIT Gandhinagar. The internship is instrumental in making me understand what research is all about. Every problem at first seemed a big barrier but just sticking with them made things better. SRIP lecture series was truly amazing. Thank you IIT Gandhinagar for this enriching experience!
Anunay Jain
