Help Sections
Intern Guide
This guide covers the complete intern lifecycle: from registration to internship completion. Interns interact with the portal through a multi-step profile wizard, daily log submissions, task tracking, and attendance.
Exclusive Role
The Intern role is exclusive — an account with the Intern role cannot hold any other role simultaneously. This is enforced at both the database and application level.
Step 1: Registration
1
Visit the Registration Page
Go to
/register on the portal. Registration is only available when an internship session is open (e.g., SUM26 — Summer 2026).
2
Fill in Basic Information
Provide your full name, email address, CNIC number, university, and desired program. All fields marked with * are mandatory.
3
Submit Registration
After submitting, the system creates your account and sends a verification email to the address you provided.
Business Rules for Registration
- Registration is only open during active session windows
- Email must be unique — you cannot register twice with the same email
- CNIC must be unique — one registration per person
- The system checks for duplicate CNIC/email before creating the account
- A welcome email with a password-set link is sent after successful registration
Step 2: Email Verification
1
Check Your Email
Open the verification email sent to your registered email address. It contains a verification link and an OTP code.
2
Click the Verification Link or Enter OTP
Either click the link in the email or go to
/verify-email and enter the OTP code manually.
3
Set Your Password
After verification, you will be redirected to set your password. Use a strong password meeting the portal's requirements.
Important
You cannot access the dashboard or any portal features until your email is verified and password is set.
Step 3: Profile Wizard
After logging in for the first time, you will be guided through a multi-step profile wizard. The wizard collects all necessary information in manageable steps.
Wizard Steps
| Step | Type | Information Collected |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Personal Information | Full name, father's name, date of birth, gender, marital status |
| 2 | Contact Details | Phone number, permanent address, current address, emergency contacts |
| 3 | Academic Information | Degree program, semester, CGPA, university, department |
| 4 | Research Interests | Areas of interest, preferred research centers, skills |
| 5 | Documents | CNIC copy, university recommendation letter, CV, photographs |
Key Features of the Wizard
- Save as Draft — You can save your progress and return later. The wizard remembers where you left off.
- Step Navigation — Move between completed steps to edit information. You cannot skip ahead without completing required fields.
- Progress Indicator — A visual progress bar shows your completion percentage.
- Document Upload — Upload PDF, JPG, or PNG files. Each document type has size and format validation.
- CNIC Verification — The system can extract name and details from your CNIC image using OCR.
Profile Completion Enforcement
You cannot access the full portal until your profile is 100% complete. The
intern_onboarding middleware redirects you to the wizard until all required steps are finished.
Document Upload Rules
- Maximum file size is configured in Settings (default varies by document type)
- Allowed formats: PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG
- Files are stored securely with randomized filenames on the server
- Original filenames are sanitized before storage
- You can view uploaded documents directly in the browser (PDF preview via PDF.js)
Step 4: Center Allocation & Supervisor Assignment
After completing your profile, the portal administrator will:
- Allocate you to a Research Center/Section — Based on your research interests and center availability
- Assign a Supervisor — A PIDE employee who will guide your internship work
You will be notified via the portal's notification system when allocation and supervisor assignment are complete.
Intern ID Generation
Upon allocation, the system generates a unique Intern ID (prefix: PIP) for your records. This ID appears on your profile, certificates, and all official documents.
Step 5: Daily Tasks
Your supervisor assigns tasks through the portal. You can view and manage your tasks from the Tasks page.
Task Statuses
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending | Task assigned but not yet started |
| In Progress | Task is actively being worked on |
| Completed | Task finished and submitted for review |
| Overdue | Task past its due date without completion |
What You Can Do
- View all tasks assigned to you
- Update task status (Pending → In Progress → Completed)
- Add comments to tasks for communication with your supervisor
- Upload attachments related to task deliverables
- Download attachments shared by your supervisor
Step 6: Daily Logs
Daily logs are how you report your daily work activities. Your supervisor reviews and approves each log entry.
Submitting a Daily Log
1
Go to Daily Logs → Create New
Navigate to the Daily Logs page and click "Create New Log".
2
Fill in the Log Details
Enter the date, activities performed, hours worked, challenges faced, and any additional notes.
3
Save as Draft or Submit
You can save the log as a draft to edit later, or submit it directly for supervisor approval.
Log Lifecycle
| Status | Description | Can Edit? |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Not yet submitted. You can edit freely. | Yes |
| Submitted | Sent to supervisor for review. | No |
| Approved | Supervisor approved the log entry. | No |
| Rejected | Supervisor rejected with comments. | No |
| Revision Requested | Supervisor asked for changes. You can edit and resubmit. | Yes |
Important
Once a log is approved, it becomes read-only and cannot be edited or deleted. Only logs in Draft or Revision Requested status can be modified.
Step 7: Attendance
Track your daily attendance through check-in and check-out.
- Check In — Record your arrival at the start of the work day
- Check Out — Record your departure at the end of the work day
- Hours Calculation — The system automatically calculates total hours worked
- Supervisor Approval — Attendance records require supervisor approval
Business Rules
- You can only check in once per day
- You must check in before you can check out
- Attendance data is scoped to your internship session
- Supervisors can add, update, or delete attendance entries on behalf of interns
Step 8: Notifications
The portal sends in-app notifications for important events:
- Task assignments from your supervisor
- Daily log approval or rejection
- Center allocation and supervisor assignment
- Announcements from administration
- Attendance reminders
Notifications appear in the bell icon in the top header bar. Click the bell to see recent notifications, or go to the Notifications page for the full list.
Step 9: Internship Completion
When your internship period ends and all requirements are met:
- Your supervisor submits a final evaluation
- Your status changes to "Completed"
- The administration generates your internship certificate
- You can download the certificate from the portal
Certificate
Your certificate includes a unique PIP-ID and can be verified through the portal. Certificates are generated by the administration and made available for download.