Tweaks on cards for PM internship plan: Age, educational criteria may ease

Move may be aimed at attracting more applicants

The government may tweak the Prime Minister (PM) Internship Scheme to attract more applicants by increasing the age limit and relaxing the educational qualifications, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) may widen the age range for qualifying interns from the current 21-24 years to 18-26 years, sources said.

 

In an X post, the MCA said: “On Day One of the PM Internship Scheme pilot project, our first cohort of interns from 625 districts has begun their internships across 34 states/Union Territories, covering the length and breadth of the country. It is a significant step in what promises to be a transformative journey.”

 

The MCA has received 621,000 applications for 127,000 internship opportunities posted by companies, according to a response to a Lok Sabha question. The internship scheme, which was to be launched on December 2, had not drawn as many applicants as expected, and the government is discussing steps to address this issue.

 

The educational qualifications may also be relaxed. The current eligibility criteria for internship candidates require them to have passed high school, completed higher secondary school, hold a certificate from an industrial training institute, possess a diploma from a polytechnic institute, or have a graduate degree.

 

An email query sent to MCA did not receive a response until the time of going to press.

 

The scheme, announced in Budget 2024-25 as part of the government’s job-push agenda, aims to provide internship opportunities to 10 million youth in the top 500 companies over five years. It was launched on a pilot basis on October 3.

 

Another source said that while the formal launch of the scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been delayed, several applicants have already started their internships as planned on December 2. The number of such interns was not available.

 

Interns will receive monthly assistance of Rs 5,000 for the entire 12 months of the internship, with the government paying Rs 4,500 and the company contributing Rs 500 from its corporate social responsibility fund.

 

The guidelines of the PM Internship Scheme pilot project include the formation of a monitoring and steering committee composed of all stakeholders, including industry representatives, to oversee the design, implementation, operations, and other aspects.

 

Further, a concurrent monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework has been provided to enable the tracking of outcomes and ensure corrective actions during the implementation of the pilot project.

 

The shortlisting of candidates involves weeding out those who are ineligible to apply, such as chartered accountants, certified management accountants, and individuals with degrees from the Indian Institutes of Technology or Indian Institutes of Management. Applicants whose family members have an income exceeding Rs 8 lakh for 2023-24 or are government employees will also be ineligible.

 

The government aims to skill 10 million youth in India’s top companies over five years through the internship scheme. The youth will gain exposure to real-life business environments, varied professions, and employment opportunities over the course of 12 months.