IIT Madras Launches National Internship, Placement Training and Assessment to Benchmark Employability

chennai: the indian institute of technology madras (iit madras), through its shaastra magazine, has launched the national internship, placement training and assessment (nipta), a first-of-its-kind initiative to benchmark employability of students nationwide.union education minister dharmendra pradhan formally launched the programme at iit madras.nipta aims to set a national standard for internship and job readiness by offering students a 10-12 week curated training programme followed by a three-hour proctored assessment at designated centres across india. the initiative is targeted at third- and final-year engineering students, diploma holders, and recent graduates.the assessment will cover technical knowledge, mathematical aptitude, logical reasoning, and communication skills. each participant will receive a performance-based certificate from iit madras, providing recruiters with a transparent measure of competencies.as part of the programme, iit madras will provide free training resources, including video lectures and sample questions, while students will pay only a nominal fee to take the assessment.iit madras also plans to share results with recruiters and host a national job and internship mela in early 2026 to connect assessed students with employers.prof. v. kamakoti, director, iit madras, said the initiative aligns with the institute's motto of “iitm for all” and will help democratise opportunities. prof. srikanth vedantam, chair of the shaastra editorial board, noted that nipta would make employability “measurable and transparent.”