PM Internship Scheme: Share of female applicants surges to 41% in second pilot of govt's flagship internship scheme from 31%
The gender imbalance with the ratio of male to female interns of 72:28 was one of the key concerns flagged by Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance to the government, as per a report of the Committee tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday. 'While appreciating the Ministry (of Corporate Affairs) for taking all efforts to achieve the ambitious target of the scheme; the Committee urges the Ministry to act swiftly and decisively to overcome/address the key challenges faced during pilot phase viz. mismatch between the number of internship opportunities offered and actual participation; longer duration of internships; under-utilisation of funds; imbalanced gender ratio of male to female interns stands at 72:28; lack of alignment between candidates' interests and the roles offered,' the report stated.
The government had responded by saying that the numbers picked up after the first pilot. 'With reference to the observed gender imbalance among interns selected under the Scheme, it is submitted that in the Round I of the Pilot Project, 31 per cent of applicants were female candidates. The representation of females amongst the interns stands at 28 percent which is almost consistent with the representation of females at the application stage,' it said in response to the Committee.
Low acceptance rate of the offers made under the Internship Scheme has been a key concern. Prospective applicants have also flagged some of the issues under the Scheme with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs earlier including a request to relax the age limit from 24 years to 25 years, employment prospects after internship and few openings in the IT sector in the 'Candidate Open House for the PM Internship Scheme' in March.
The government told the Committee that due to the changes undertaken in the Scheme and IEC (information, education and communication) activities, there has been an increase in participation of female candidates in Round II. 'In Round II, female candidates constitute more than 41 per cent of the applicants. The selection/ joining process for Round II is ongoing,' it said.
Applicants under PM Internship Scheme
The first pilot round of the Scheme had witnessed a huge gap in the number of applicants and candidates accepting the offers for the internships. According to data shared by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in Parliament last week, as on July 17, over 71,000 offers were made by companies in Round II, out of which over 22,500 offers have been accepted and the selection process is still ongoing. Over 4.55 lakh applications were received from over 2.14 lakh applicants in the second round.
In Round I, companies posted more than 1.27 lakh internship opportunities on the PMIS Portal across the country. Against this, over 6.21 lakh applications were received from about 1.81 lakh candidates. Over 82,000 internship offers were made to over 60,000 candidates, out of which more than 28,000 candidates accepted offers to join the internship. However, only 8,700 candidates joined the internship.
Gender-wise breakup shows that while the share of females among interns improved to 41 per cent at the application stage in the second round from 31 per cent in the first round, the share of females among interns stood at 28 per cent in the first round but the corresponding figure for the interns was not available for the second round.
Other issues in the PM Internship Scheme
Under-utilisation of funds for the PM Internship Scheme was also flagged as one of the key issues by the Standing Committee in a separate report tabled in the Lok Sabha last week. In the financial year 2024-25, the budget estimate of Rs 2,000 crore got reduced to Rs 380 crore in revised estimate and actual spending as of mid-February stood at Rs 21.10 crore. The allocation was then hiked sharply to Rs 10,831.07 crore for the financial year 2025-26.
There is a need for a dynamic reassessment of funding for the scheme, the Committee said. 'These funds suffice for the pilot phase, but dynamic reassessment of financial needs is crucial for scaling up. While these features are commendable, challenges persist regarding inclusivity, monitoring, stakeholder participation, and postinternship outcomes, impacting overall budget efficiency,' the report stated.
The Committee had also noted that there is a need for the host companies to align training programs with industry skill requirements to ensure interns are industry-ready. It had recommended periodic independent evaluations for transparency and suggested relaxing eligibility norms for marginalised and economically weaker candidates. 'While the scheme is in its pilot phase, the Committee emphasises that the internship-to-employment conversion rate should be a key success indicator. The Committee, therefore, recommends establishing a robust system to monitor and track this metric, ensuring the programme effectively creates career opportunities and aligns with industry demands,' it said.
Another issue flagged by the Committee was regarding the Scheme's eligibility criteria to exclude candidates if any of their family members earns over Rs 8 lakh or is a regular government employee. The committee said that the blanket exclusion of regular government employee families is unwarranted, as many earn below Rs 8 lakh and may need support under the scheme.
The Ministry in its response said it is carrying out concurrent evaluation of the Scheme through a feedback survey, after which it incorporated some of the changes in the second round. To address the issue of low joining, the Ministry decided to provide the exact geotagged location of the internship to the candidates along with the company's name and profile. Additional benefits or assistance offered by the company were also made visible to the candidates. Dashboards were also provided to the state governments for active monitoring and to encourage youth participation in the scheme, it said.
The Internship Scheme was a part of the Prime Minister's Package for Employment and Skilling announced in FY25 Budget with an overall outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. The Scheme aims to provide internships to one crore youth in top 500 companies over five years. Under the scheme, an amount of Rs 4,500 is provided per month by the Government of India through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) with an additional Rs 500 offset provided by the company's CSR (corporate social responsibility) funds. The government also provides a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 per annum for incidentals to cover miscellaneous expenses incurred by the selected intern.
Aanchal Magazine is Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and reports on the macro economy and fiscal policy, with a special focus on economic science, labour trends, taxation and revenue metrics. With over 13 years of newsroom experience, she has also reported in detail on macroeconomic data such as trends and policy actions related to inflation, GDP growth and fiscal arithmetic. Interested in the history of her homeland, Kashmir, she likes to read about its culture and tradition in her spare time, along with trying to map the journeys of displacement from there.
... Read More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India, Russia discuss rare earth mineral extraction among other areas of industrial cooperation as US targets oil trade
India and Russia on Wednesday discussed industrial cooperation across a range of areas, including rare earth and critical mineral extraction, as India faces increasing pressure over its purchase of Russian oil, with the US announcing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods. The discussions on rare earth minerals come amid China's restrictions on the export of seven rare earths, which has impacted automobile production in India. China dominates the global rare earths market, supplying 85 to 95 per cent of the world's demand. 'Both sides explored opportunities in rare earth and critical mineral extraction, underground coal gasification, and the creation of modern industrial infrastructure,' the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. The Ministry added that key focus areas included cooperation in aerospace science and technology — such as the establishment of a modernised wind tunnel facility, production of small aircraft piston engines, and joint development in carbon fibre technology, additive manufacturing, and 3D printing. DPIIT Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Alexey Gruzdev, also discussed key areas such as aluminium, fertilisers, and railway transport, alongside capacity building and technology transfer in mining equipment, exploration, and industrial and domestic waste management. 'The meeting concluded with the signing of the Protocol of the 11th Session by both co-chairs, reaffirming the strategic India-Russia partnership and shared commitment to deepen industrial and economic cooperation. The session saw participation from around 80 delegates representing both sides, including senior government officials, domain experts, and industry representatives,' the Ministry said. On Wednesday, the US said it would impose an 'additional 25 per cent ad valorem duty' on Indian goods, over and above the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs announced on August 1, to 'deal with the national emergency stemming from Russia's actions in Ukraine,' according to a White House statement. The additional tariffs significantly raise pressure on India, as most of its competitors — such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, and China — face lower US tariffs in the range of 19 to 30 per cent. However, India's exports in exempted categories, such as pharmaceuticals and electronics, account for nearly half of its total annual goods exports, which stand at $80 billion. New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) noted that in 2024 alone China purchased $62.6 billion worth of Russian oil — more than India's $52.7 billion. Washington has avoided targeting Beijing, GTRI said, because of China's leverage over critical materials such as gallium, germanium, rare earths, and graphite, which are vital for US defence and technology. 'The US has also overlooked its allies' trade with Russia: the EU imported $39.1 billion worth of Russian goods last year, including $25.2 billion in oil, while the US itself purchased $3.3 billion in strategic materials from Russia. The tariffs are expected to make Indian goods significantly more expensive in the US, with the potential to cut US-bound exports by 40–50 per cent.' Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Plea Not Worth Entertaining": Supreme Court Setback For Judge In Cash Row
The Supreme Court has knocked back Justice Yashwant Varma 's challenge of an in-house committee that recommended his impeachment over burnt piles of money found at his Delhi home in March. The recommendation - delivered by then-Chief Justice Sanjiv Kumar - has legal sanction and is constitutionally valid, as was the three-judge committee, the court said Thursday morning, ruling Justice Varma's petition "not worth entertaining" and reproaching him for his not "confidence-inspiring" conduct. This clears the way for the impeachment process initiated last month. Justice Varma - who could become the first High Court judge in independent India to be removed from office - will now be investigated by Parliament under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution. In his writ petition Justice Varma, listed as 'XXX' in the records, had offered the two-judge bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and AG Masih five reasons why he could not be sacked. These included questions over the jurisdiction and authority of the in-house committee to investigate a sitting judge. Justice Varma argued the committee ignored questions he had raised, and that could speak to his innocence, and denied him a fair hearing. He also argued that neither the Chief Justice of India nor the Supreme Court had 'power of superintendence', i.e., they cannot take disciplinary action against High Court judges, because their tenure is protected by the Constitution. He also argued his colleagues' recommendation "usurps parliamentary authority... it empowers the judiciary to recommend removal of Judges from constitutionally-held office". Justice Yashwant Varma Impeachment The impeachment process began July 21, i.e,. on the first day of the current Parliament session. Over 145 MPs - from the opposition and the government's ranks - submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla calling for an investigation into Justice Varma and the cash-at-home row. What Is Impeachment? It is a constitutional mechanism to remove a sitting judge - specifically those from the Supreme Court or a state High Court - from his/her office. Once appointed, judges cannot be removed from office without an order from the President, who, in turn, requires consent from Parliament. NDTV Explains | How Do You Remove A Sitting Judge? Impeachment Explained The Constitution does not actually refer to the word 'impeachment', but the procedure to remove judges is outlined in the Judges Inquiry Act of 1968 and mentioned in two constitutional provisions - Article 124 (for Supreme Court judges) and Article 218 (for those from High Courts). How Is Impeachment Done? An impeachment motion can be introduced in either House of Parliament. At least 50 Rajya Sabha MPs must sign the motion - which is a record of the intention to impeach - for it to proceed further. In the Lok Sabha that number is 100. Once that threshold is reached, the Chair of the former or the Speaker of the latter, depending on which House admits the motion, will review the available materials.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Ready To Pay Personal Price": PM Modi's Strong Message Over Trump Tariffs
New Delhi: Sending a strong message the day after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up the tariff war against India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that India will never compromise with the interests of its farmers and fishermen. The Prime Minister said that while he knows he will "have to pay the price", he was ready to do it for farmers. Addressing the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference at Delhi, the Prime Minister said, "The interest of farmers is our top priority. India will never compromise with the interests of its farmers, livestock holders, and fishermen. And I know that I will have to pay a huge price for this personally, but I am ready. India is ready, for the sake of the country's farmers, fishermen and livestock holders," the Prime Minister said, minutes after Trump's tariffs kicked in. Paying his respects to MS Swaminathan, the architect of the Green Revolution, the Prime Minister said, "Building on the legacy of food security, the next frontier for our agricultural scientists is ensuring nutritional security for all." India exports a wide variety of agricultural products to the US and is one of the sectors set to bear the brunt of Trump's tariffs. Donald Trump yesterday announced an extra 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports as 'penalty' for New Delhi continuing to import Russian crude oil. Earlier, US had imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Indian exports on July 20. With the total tariffs on Indian exports to the US rising to 50 per cent, the Ministry of External Affairs responded that the US targeting India over Russian oil imports is "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable". "We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India. It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest," it said, stressing that India "will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests". Ties between India and the US have been uneasy in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 innocents dead. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, a claim denied by the Narendra Modi government. "We had said from day one that our action was non-escalatory. No leader in the world asked us to stop Operation Sindoor," Prime Minister Modi said during the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament. Tariff hikes have followed these claims. Trump's tariffs also play out against the backdrop of the pause on talks on an India-US trade deal. Washington DC was pushing for more access to India's agricultural market, a move New Delhi has resisted to safeguard farmers.
