Where did you get your internship and why did you apply there?

What interested you or attracted you to this particular internship and why?

I got my internship at IIT Delhi. I came here through the Research Fellowship Programme, by the Indian Academy of Sciences. This programme doesn’t give you the choice of the place where you want to intern. It just gives you the best place in India to do your Summer Research Internship based on your interest. So, you never know where you might end up but it’s assured that it’ll be the best place. This internship programme is one of the most coveted internship programmes. It gives you an edge over others given the quality of research work you can learn and do. And yes, there’s stipend too.

How did you get your internship?

Was it through the college or off-campus or through a senior/prof or through an internship website?

I applied for the Summer Research Fellowship Programme by the Indian Academy of Sciences. Applications open in the month of November. It’s recommended that you have a good pointer, but exceptions might happen, so it’s not a compulsion. But, there is a pointer cut off which you need to check on the website. Also, it largely depends on your statement of purpose and the projects you have done. So, if you have a good sense of what you want to do and can write about that efficiently, you can increase your chances.

What was your internship about?

My internship was in the field of Computer Vision. It’s a relatively new topic in India and there are very less institutes having a good infrastructure for it. SRFP ensured that I get the best place possible. So, I’m working on the project “Object Segmentation and Labelling using Stereo Images”. If you want the details, you can contact me anytime.

How was the work culture?

It’s pretty chill here. But it’s good if you can work for 6-7 hours a day. It’s more of a target based work. It is not stressful, just that, you will have to properly keep a track of your daily work for the reports that need to be submitted after every month. I also enrolled for the Global Internship Programme for Engineering Design and Innovation(GIPEDI) at IIT Delhi. They directly select IAS fellows and provide training for soft skills and other professional ethics In addition to research based skills.

What did you learn during the internship?

Was it challenging for you to do it? What new skills did you develop?

I learnt a lot of things. I am more confident with my knowledge in computer vision as I actually implemented a lot of algorithms I had just heard of. The work was challenging - sometimes a code used to take 4-5 days, but it was worth it. It wasn’t just implementing existing algorithms but also optimising them or creating your own! I met a lot of people from different cultures and background and that gave me a chance to learn more. I met some awesome profs, some great mentors and got a chance to visit a very beautiful campus. It was a perfect blend of a lot of good skills and learning experiences.

Tell us about the fun/ interesting incidents during the course of your internship.

We were taken for heritage walks around Delhi every weekend. My prof was particularly interested in History, so got to know a lot from him. The assignments given in the first 1- 2 weeks were fun assignments. One of them was to write 50 postcards to Friends around the country. All those who received the post card were really happy with this idea.

What advice would you give to juniors regarding your internship?

Would you recommend a junior undergoing a similar internship at the same place you went?

Getting internship through IAS is the best you can get. It is also worth trying for the GIPEDI internship at IIT Delhi. It’s a good mix of both social and research skills.