From a Scroll on Instagram to Serving the District Administration My DCIP Journey (Batch 6)

Sometimes, life changes direction with just one simple scroll.

While casually scrolling Instagram, I came across a post about the District Collector’s Internship Programme (DCIP), Malappuram – Batch 6. The eligibility read: 20–30 years, any graduation, any field.

At that time, I was just 20 years old — a Diploma in Computer Engineering pass-out from a normal college. I was not from public administration, political science, or social work. Honestly, I felt this programme was meant for administrative backgrounds, not someone like me. Still, I applied, with no expectations and just a small spark of hope.

A few days later, I received an official email saying I was shortlisted for the interview. Soon after, I got an official phone call confirming the same. Excitement, nervousness, and disbelief hit me all at once. This was real.

On interview day, the venue was filled with candidates from top universities and colleges. Many were postgraduates from public administration, social work, and political science. I was the only candidate from a tech background, one of the youngest, and with the lowest formal qualification in the room. Still, when my turn came, I walked into the interview room. The panel asked about development challenges in Malappuram, governance-related problems, and how my technical background could support public administration. I answered honestly and walked out with a 50–50 feeling — hopeful, yet unsure.Three days later, my inbox changed everything.

“You are selected for the District Collector’s Internship Programme, Malappuram – Batch 6.”

That moment was unreal. Pure joy, gratitude, and pride.

After joining DCIP, I remained the only intern from a tech background. I joined the IT and Media team, where I worked on handling DCIP Malappuram’s official social media pages, photography, videography, editing, poster design, and content management. One of the proudest moments of my journey was when the District Collector entrusted me with handling his official social media accounts — a responsibility I carried with the highest level of care and professionalism.

During the internship, I noticed that DCIP had completed five batches without an official website. I took the initiative to plan and develop the official DCIP Malappuram website. I also developed websites for OPPAM, a free PSC coaching initiative for differently-abled students, a CSR portal connecting individuals and companies to social initiatives, and a District Administration Malappuram landing page. I handled domain purchases, configurations, and subdomains for these platforms.

Beyond media and development work, I also contributed to major governance projects, including the RDO Tirur website, which allows citizens to submit complaints and book appointments online, and the M Sanjeevanam project, a large-scale initiative focused on collecting and managing data of differently-abled individuals across the district.This journey taught me how governance truly works — not through theory, but through real responsibility and execution.

I am deeply grateful to the District Collector, the Sub Collector of Tirur, our mentors, coordinators, and the entire DCIP team for trusting me and giving me this opportunity.This chapter will always remain close to my heart.

Proudly signing off as a DCIP Intern — Batch 6, Malappuram.

Abhinav K