What if young people could step inside the system and learn how a city truly works not through books, but by shaping real change?
In Kozhikode, Kerala, this dream is a reality.
The District Collector’s Internship Programme (DCIP) , a pioneering youth governance initiative is helping students walk in the shoes of decision-makers and bridge the gap between the classroom and community.
Launched in 2015 by N. Prasanth, IAS, under the Compassionate Kozhikode movement, the internship gives students the chance to design, implement, and monitor real-life welfare projects that impact thousands.
When Compassion Meets Governance
At its heart, DCIP is about empathy in action.
From ensuring no one sleeps hungry to improving opportunities for persons with disabilities and widows, the programme teaches youth that leadership isn’t about power it’s about service.
The much-praised Operation Sulaimani, for instance, tackles food insecurity across Kozhikode. Through this initiative, over 1.25 lakh people have received nutritious meals, all coordinated and supported by DCIP interns.
These interns don’t just learn policies, they live them. They interact with communities, assess ground-level realities, and bring fresh perspectives to government projects.
As District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh (IAS) says, “We are not looking for academic brilliance alone. We want young people with compassion, empathy, and the courage to question and solve.”
A Classroom Without Walls
Take Harsha Haridas, a postgraduate student in Applied Mathematics, who joined the programme to contribute beyond academics.
Her project on Scheduled Tribe welfare inspired her to continue even after her internship ended ensuring documentation and benefits reached tribal hamlets.
Students from diverse backgrounds in medicine, social sciences, engineering, entrepreneurship come together for four months of immersive governance, mentored by senior officials. Their tasks are based on essays and interviews that gauge motivation and creativity.
Through these projects, they learn that governance isn’t confined to policies, it’s about people.
Creating Real-World Impact
In just ten years, the DCIP has touched over 2 million lives across Kozhikode with initiatives ranging from:
- 🥣 Operation Sulaimani: Free meals for the underprivileged.
- ♿ Enabling Kozhikode: Equal opportunities and accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
- 👩🦰 Widow-Friendly Kozhikode: Empowering 25,000 widows through awareness, skills, and dignity.
- 🌐 Nammude Kozhikode: Digital transformation of local governance across multiple sectors.
Each project, designed and executed with student participation, reflects the programme’s guiding principle: “Governance works best when people are part of it.”
Building Tomorrow’s Changemakers
The DCIP boasts 300 alumni across 30 batches, many now pursuing public administration, social innovation, and development leadership.
With 50% women representation, the programme also champions inclusivity and equal opportunity.
For Take Care International Foundation, this initiative stands as a shining example of how education, empathy, and engagement can combine to transform communities. It proves that young minds when trusted and guided can reshape systems with courage and compassion.
A Model Worth Replicating
Collector Singh believes this model can be implemented across India.
“When students feel ownership towards their projects,” he says, “that’s when governance truly transforms. That’s the real success.”
The DCIP isn’t just an internship, it’s a revolution in learning, where governance becomes personal and service becomes second nature.
It’s where youth stop waiting for change and start leading it.
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