Brand names, empty pockets: The bitter truth of unpaid internships in India

Did you ever work for free? If you have, then you know what it is to give time, talent, and effort and receive nothing. For thousands of students across India, it is not an exception but a rule.

From the bazaar-like towns to town-hall universities, thousands of Indian students work grudgingly for nothing annually. They work months on quality assignments, and even high-stakes research, and go back home with nothing but an empty purse.

At best, they get 'exposure'; worse, they spend actual money on travel, dining out and on rent. Even India's largest private firms, think tanks, media organisations, and government-associated institutions continue to offer unpaid or low-paid internships.

Though greater awareness regarding just compensation, unpaid internships are entrenched. A recent survey organized by Internshala finds that nearly 35 percent of internships in India are completely unpaid, and 25 percent give below Rs 3,000 a month.

Corporate houses, NGOs and government organizations themselves across industry segments ranging from media to IT continue to rely on unpaid or underpaid interns.

The majority of the students accept these roles as rite of passage, viewing that proper designation on their CV will lead to future prospects. Others are coerced by intense competition and scarce paid opportunity.

The true expenditures, nevertheless emotional and monetary, are disastrous.

ECONOMIC BARRIER TO ENTRY

The ugliest truth regarding free internships is that they are not for everyone. For Tier 2 and Tier 3 town students or students of modest background, it isn't feasible for them to work for free.

"Financially, sometimes even it was hard, especially since I had to bear my own expense," Aman, who interned with Makonis Solutions and IIT Guwahati, remembers.

Although he made the most of it and called it "truly rewarding," he did admit that compensation would have given "more confidence and encouragement."

Others have to miss out on internships altogether, robbing themselves of the educational experience and resume boost their more affluent peers get free.

THE PRESTIGE TRAP

For them, the glamour of a famous name compensates for no payment. Top universities rationalize unpaid jobs by the offering of non-monetary benefits like 'networking' or 'exposure.'

"It was a well established company, Reliance Industries Ltd, where I could work with the best professionals and have proper exposure to the actual work environment," says Trisha Pal, defending the reason for accepting the job despite her financial need.

That is, students are told: "Ohh! We are giving you a company name to make your resume effective. What do you need more?"

This strategy rationalizes the absence of even a notional stipend, subtly rewriting the merit of internships from education and growth to name-dropping during job interviews.

MENTAL HEALTH AND BURNOUT

Apart from finances, there can be genuine emotional fallout of unpaid internships. Students have to juggle coursework, travel, rent, and full-time work, receiving no compensation and flawless mentorship.

"It was difficult and all was not well at that point of time. I was financially dependent on my parents, and that used to provide me with the guilt feeling sometimes," says Kirti Gupta, an intern at the Archaeological Survey of India.

"Emotionally, sometimes it was draining, balancing study, travelling, and doing the internship for free did sometimes feel unjust. There were a few days when I questioned if it's all worth it, particularly when I made the connection that some of my other friends were receiving paid internships."

Effort without appreciation, or even without realization, undermines confidence and causes burnout.

URBAN VS. RURAL DIVID

There are worse consequences of unpaid internships. For example, students from urban cities will be in a better position to cope with unpaid work by relying on their families for expenses in the majority of situations.

Compared to this, those from small towns travel out with enormous expenses, lodging, living allowance, and transportation, only to get to the place. Trisha Pal brings to fore the way she had to shoulder all her expenses by herself during her internship, non-payment for which is thus all the more difficult.

The differential opportunity between the two groups becomes larger as a result.

THE CLASS DIVID

Unpaid internships quietly favor the already affluent. Only those who can afford to work for free get to reap the benefits of networking, mentoring, and reference guidance ahead of time. Others without the luxury are left behind not due to lack of ability, but due to budget.

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES AND POLICY GAPS

Not even government-connected organizations are immune. Most internships in institutions like NITI Aayog or the Parliament remain unpaid or badly paid.

The National Education Policy 2020 welcomes internships for holistic learning, but no major push is given yet towards a minimum wage or inclusion.

Without any regulatory framework or oversight, students rely on organizational goodwill.

THE RS 5,000 REVOLUTION

While the Rs 3,000-5,000 stipend is peanuts, to the student it can be a game-changer. It pays for recharges, takeaways, and the occasional holiday, and most importantly, it validates the intern's time.

"Even if both are of equal learning value, no one would bat an eyelid about taking the paid one because it would be an extra perk no one would like to give up," Trisha Pal said.

Kushagra Singh, who had worked in an internship with a multinational company, agreed the same: "If I know that I am getting the same level of exposure in both institutions, then I will approach the institution which is providing me with additional benefits."

SO, WHY UNPAID INTERNSHIPS LAST?

Unpaid internships last because corporations love 'free' labor for the sake of opportunity.

Because the system still pays for the dream of opportunity and not actual support. As long as students will work for firms or are incentivized to give away free work because there is no alternative, the cycle repeats.

The cycle only gets broken by three things:

Legislative action - make minimum stipends and open hiring procedures standard.

Institutional commitment - companies must budget for equitable intern wages.

Student activism - the candidates must be aware of their own worth and demand payment.

Aman, despite all negatives with which she is familiar, best encapsulates the situation: "I didn't let the fact that I wasn't getting paid discourage me. I was determined to take any opportunity to learn."

But do students need to be put in a situation where they have to make a choice between development and survival? Or can we start holding interns as assets rather than potentials to be?