The museum in Fort also offers annual internship for graduate students. Express Archive The museum in Fort also offers annual internship for graduate students. Express Archive

With a growing number of students opting for internships and short courses over holidays with family during summer, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Fort offers an interesting opportunity for history buffs in the city.

Started in 2012, the summer internship is offered between April and July. Students can work for two months or more, depending on their college schedules. “Over all other factors, we look for enthusiasm and creativity in applicants,” said Bilwa Kulkarni, education officer at the museum.

“Each year, we receive anywhere between 25 and 65 applications. Out of them, we select six to eight interns each summer, depending on our departments’ needs,” said Kulkarni.

She said internship applications start coming in much before the museum opens to students. “Even though we start advertising for the openings before summer, we start receiving applications by the end of February itself,” said Kulkarni.

Though most applicants are usually undergraduates, Kulkarni said they have had interns in the past who were still in school.

“It’s one of the most unique experiences I’ve had,” said Nitya Gundu (19), who is currently interning at the museum.

“We run guided tours and conduct daily activities, such as a miniature painting exhibition, block paintings and old stone tools,” she said.

Apart from giving guided tours, the interns are involved in a host of other activities. They help out at the front desk and aid the department in content generation. “One of the treasure hunts created by previous interns is still in use at the museum,” said Kulkarni.

The museum also offers annual internship for graduate students. Some of the summer interns apply for the same after they graduate and, in a few cases, some have been employed by the museum.

Kinjal Babaria, 24, was one such intern. “I had interned with the museum back in April 2016, and then received an extension. After that, they gave me a chance to join their programme as an education associate, which allowed me to head my own programme at the museum.” Babaria heads a programme called India and the World: A history in Nine Stories.

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