Internships made mandatory at Pakistan's 282 universities, NA told

Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training Rabia Naseem Farooqi told the National Assembly on Monday that internships have been made mandatory at universities across Pakistan, saying the step is meant to give students practical experience and improve their chances of finding employment.

Responding to lawmakers' questions during Question Hour, she said the country has 282 universities, a count that includes both public and private institutions, and that the mandatory internship requirement was introduced in 2023.

The Associated Press of Pakistan reported her answers. UrduPoint carried the same proceedings under the headline "Mandatory Internships Introduced At Pakistan's 282 Universities, NA Told".

Neither report said which degree programmes the requirement covers, whether it applies at every one of the 282 institutions, how universities are expected to enforce it, or what happens to a student who does not complete an internship. Nor did they set out whether placements are to be arranged by the universities or found by the students themselves.

Because she described the requirement as having been introduced in 2023, her answer restated a policy already in place rather than announcing a new one.

A parliamentary secretary is a member of the National Assembly appointed to assist a federal minister and to represent the ministry during parliamentary business. Farooqi was answering for the education ministry during Monday's sitting.

The reports did not carry figures for the number of students affected, the number of internship places available, or any deadline attached to the policy. Question Hour is the period set aside in each sitting for members to question ministries about their work.