Internship Experience: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

To anyone reading this, I hope you are doing well. I wish to share a brief account of my summer internship experience at the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in New Delhi. For your convenience, I’ve divided this into various sections that you can refer to individually.

About the Organisation

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India. My internship was situated within the Water Resources Division (WRD) Sectional Committee 9 at the BIS Headquarters.

WRD 09 is the "Dams and Spillways Sectional Committee," which is a crucial group responsible for developing and publishing Indian Standards (IS) related to the design, construction and safety of dams, spillways diversion works across the nation.

Application Process

My selection for the internship was facilitated through my college, the Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati. The selection was entirely merit-based, primarily considering my CGPA.

Essential documents included:

• My Resume/CV
• A No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from my department
• Some additional forms that had to be uploaded to the POD.

Once the initial selection and approval were complete, I was formally accepted to begin research on the new work item "Hydraulic Design of Stepped Spillways - Guidelines".

Experience at BIS

My internship started on the 19th of May and lasted until the 14th of July 2024. Over the eight weeks, I was given the key project "Hydraulic Design of Stepped Spillways - Guidelines" to work upon.

The experience was highly structured and provided both government and industry exposure:

• Initial Phase (2 weeks - BIS HQ): I worked from the Headquarters under my mentors, Shri Vaibhav Jindal and Shri Vipul Anand, to prepare the initial Pre-Standardisation Report and the Working Draft for the new guideline.
• Research & Field Phase (4 weeks - Remote/Field): This period was dedicated to extensive research and two invaluable field visits:
  • Sardar Sarovar Dam: I visited the facility and control room, gathering insights from engineers on the dam's design, operation and maintenance.
  • Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS): I toured nearly all departments, including Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Rock Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, etc., learning the various processes, tests and model studies conducted for dam projects.
• Compilation Phase (2 weeks - BIS HQ): I returned to the Headquarters to compile all the research, finalize my work and submit both the final documents.

Pros

• Financial Support: It was a paid internship, offering a ₹20,000 monthly stipend. Additionally, all travel and accommodation charges were fully reimbursed for the field trips, which significantly eased the financial burden.
• National Impact: You directly contribute to formulating a National Standard, impacting India's future water resource infrastructure.
• Unique Exposure: The ability to conduct crucial field visits to premier facilities like the Sardar Sarovar Dam and CWPRS is unparalleled.
• Exceptional Mentorship: The scientists and consultants at BIS are genuinely brilliant and take the time to guide you throughout the technical process.

Cons

• Pace of Work: Being a government organisation, the process of standardisation is systematic and deliberate, meaning things sometimes take time to complete.
• Paperwork: There was quite a bit of necessary administrative and documentation work involved in coordinating the research and field trips.

In a nutshell, if you are interested in research and want to contribute toward the nation by helping in formulating standards, the Bureau of Indian Standards is highly recommended.

Overall, 8/10 – would highly recommend it!