Topper = Confirmed internship? Delhi University student’s post sparks debate

Beyond the usual buzz of Delhi University (DU) fests and occasional viral video of bizarre campus antics, DU rarely falls short of headline-worthy moments. But amid all the noise, a quieter, more introspective voice recently cut through — and resonated widely as first-year Hansraj College student Bisma Fareed took to LinkedIn, writing, “I’m a topper aur mujhe internship nahin mil rahi.” The lengthy post garnered 8k likes and nearly 1k comments.

“I was in this bubble that if I scored well, everything else would fall into place and my college life would be great. But after I got into DU, I went looking for internships and came back empty-handed; it hit me hard,” the 18-year-old tells us, adding, “The world doesn’t just want marks. It wants skills and passion beyond the grades. My post was not to whine about not landing an internship but to share this realisation with fellow students.”

Despite a stellar academic record in school at Convent and Jesus and Mary, Connaught Place, she voiced her struggles about landing an internship, igniting a wider debate. “My post wasn’t meant as a criticism of employers, nor did I have any negative experience with any company. In fact, it was a valuable learning moment,” she explains.

The reaction to the post was immediate and wide-ranging. Some students said they shared the post with peers and parents, prompting conversations that extended beyond LinkedIn.

“That’s exactly what I wanted. It feels like my 3 Idiots (2009 film) moment,” she shared with a grin, adding, “It’s important to send a message to students and parents that academic brilliance alone shouldn’t be our goal. We need space to explore our passions and sharpen those into skills.”

However, she is miffed over her misrepresentation in the media. “It’s been widely stated in news articles that I’m a DU topper, which isn’t true. Even my achievements in the post are all from my school years,” she clarifies.

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