Indian Summer Internship: Where does it go wrong?

This is my second internship, the first one was during engineering and this one is during MBA. I have realized that there is lack of seriousness in the attitude of hiring companies which ultimately settles down into a poor corporate environment. As far as my understanding about summer trainings goes on - these trainings are not meant for just HR fomalities but, meant for identifying a potential employee. I joined DSCL as summer intern a month back and the first day HR told me that I was going to get tough time with my guide in finding appointments with him and his feedback. He advised me to do things at my own so that I could learn something. That advise gave me idea about DSCL's corporate culture. Believe me, I was true in my calculations.

It is like a typical internship where they least care about what you are doing, how you are doing it... and all those things that should be taken care of. Is this for which they sign a student? I have to wait for days to get appointment with my guide who is supposed to be my mentor. And, at the end of the day they say that Sorry, we expected something more from you. Everytime I call up this guy and he replies that he is busy and will call me back in a while. But, that 'in a while' returns after 4 days when he finally says that he was busy cleaning his room so he could not call. I am tired of this response but, can't help myself because I am a summer trainee and I don't have any authority to speak. Is this the corporate culture that they want to imbibe in me? Sorry, I don't surrender... I can't work like this. It is absolutely nonsense.

Everybody puts his best effort in internship in the hope that he will get a PPO. But, ask me, even if they give me a PPO I am going to reject it straightaway and throw it on their faces. Anyways, they are not going to give me PPO because if they wanted to give it, they must have judged me or anybody on those parameters. They say that these are activities under HR and we don't like giving PPOs. OIh My God! If this is so then why didn't you disclose it at the time of interview? Everytime, students are fooled by these hefty promises but, the irony is that neither the corporations nor the academic institutions have ever tried to know the truth. All we need is just a 50 pages long report and a certificate saying that this student has completed his training.

I don't know when will we realize it, but, till the time we realize, I am sure many students would have burnt their 2 months under these terrible working conditions.

Way to Ajbapur

Today morning, I went to Ajbapur unit of DSCL. Leaving Loni in the morning, in a Mahindra Bolero with driver JV Singh, I witnessed one more face of rural India. Cutting through the roads and streets of villages, I was mesmerized by the beauty and simplicity of Indian villages. These are same as they were 40 years back. Nothing has changed - still no roads, no electricity, mud houses, children playing dirt and still there was so much serenity that even a restless soul can find peace in Indian villages. Coming back from Ajbapur, we had mangoes and cucumber in our lunch. What a joy to have those juicy and tasty mangoes from UP in your lunch. I am still feeling full of stomach.

A nice trip has come to end, but only to make path for a newer one. Its a realization that India is still a country of villages. :)