Latest news with #PMInternshipScheme
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
PM Internship Scheme: Share of female applicants surges to 41% in second pilot of govt's flagship internship scheme from 31%
A mismatch between internship opportunities and participation, and a significant gender imbalance in the first pilot round of the PM Internship Scheme earlier this year forced the government to tweak the norms of this flagship scheme. These steps taken to improve participation, including the disclosure of information about the company name, its profile and geographical location, seems to have catalysed a very tangible outcome — a sharp increase in the share of female applicants in total applicants to 41 per cent in the second round, up from 31 per cent seen in the first round. 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
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Business Standard
28-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
71,000 offers made in second round of PM internship pilot project
The Prime Minister Internship Scheme's Pilot Project has received applications nearly four times the total 1.18 lakh internship opportunities offered by 327 companies, according to a parliamentary reply. However, these companies have made a total of 71,000 internship offers so far, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. 'Currently, rolling out of offers and the process of acceptances and joining by interns is in progress,' the reply stated. In the first round of the pilot project, fewer than 15 per cent of candidates who were offered internships ended up joining the scheme. Malhotra said 22 per cent of the total applications in the second round were from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, of whom 16.8 per cent received internship offers. In the first round, partner companies made over 82,000 internship offers to more than 60,000 candidates, out of which over 28,000 accepted the offers. Ultimately, around 8,700 candidates joined their internships. The government has utilised approximately ₹50 crore under the scheme since its inception. For FY26, an allocation of ₹10,831.07 crore has been made in the Union Budget for the PM Internship Scheme (PMIS), according to the reply. Data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) showed that Assam led the states with the highest number of internship candidates at 1,408, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 1,067. Among the participating companies, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited offered the highest number of internships at 841, followed by Oil India Limited with 492 opportunities. In Round II of the PM Internship Scheme Pilot Project, which commenced on 9 January 2025, about 327 partner companies posted over 1.18 lakh internship opportunities. Against these, approximately 4.55 lakh applications were received from more than 2.14 lakh applicants. As of 15 July 2025, Malhotra said, partner companies had made over 71,000 offers. The Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) was announced in the Union Budget for 2024–25. It aims to provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in the top 500 companies over five years. The pilot project, targeting 1.25 lakh internship opportunities in one year, was launched on 3 October 2024. 'The shortlisting process is aimed at promoting diversity and social inclusivity in the internship programme through representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and Persons with Disabilities in the shortlist sent to the concerned company for further selection as per their respective processes and criteria,' Malhotra informed Parliament.
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Business Standard
28-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
71,000 offers made in second round of PM internship scheme pilot
Over 4.5 lakh applications received for 1.18 lakh internship opportunities in the PM Internship Scheme's second pilot phase; low joining rate noted in first round premium Ruchika Chitravanshi New Delhi Listen to This Article The Prime Minister Internship Scheme's Pilot Project has received applications nearly four times the total 1.18 lakh internship opportunities offered by 327 companies, according to a parliamentary reply. However, these companies have made a total of 71,000 internship offers so far, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. 'Currently, rolling out of offers and the process of acceptances and joining by interns is in progress,' the reply stated. In the first round of the pilot project, fewer than 15 per cent of candidates who were offered internships ended up joining the scheme. Malhotra
Indian Express
27-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
PM Internship Scheme 2025: Registration, eligibility, duration & stipend —FAQs answered
PM Internship Scheme 2025: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs will soon start the registration process for the youth to get internship opportunities. As of now, the government has not announced the dates to start round two. But before round two starts for the internships, here are some of the frequently asked questions that an aspirant must know before applying for the internship under the scheme. Only 6% joined companies against 1.53 lakh offers What is the official website for the PM Internship Scheme? The official website to apply for the internship is What kind of internships will I get after making an account? Eligible candidates will get internships in different roles across sectors, including IT and Software Development, Banking and Financial Services, Oil, Gas & Energy, metals & Mining, FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods), Telecom, Infrastructure & Construction, Retail & Consumer Durables, Cement & Building Materials, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Aviation & Defence, Manufacturing & Industrial, Chemical, Media, Entertainment & Education, Agriculture and Allied, Consulting Services, Textile Manufacturing, Gems and Jewellery, Travel & Hospitality and Healthcare. What is the eligibility and age limit for the applicants? The scheme targets candidates aged between 21 and 24 who are currently not enrolled in any full-time academic programme or employment. The candidate should have completed at least secondary education (Class 10 pass), higher secondary education (Class 12 pass), or have earned a diploma/degree such as BA, BCA, BBA, etc. Who cannot apply to the internship scheme? –If a candidate is below 21 years or above 24 years of age as on the last date for application submission. –If the aspirant is currently engaged in full-time employment or full-time education. –If they have graduated from specific institutions like IITs, IIMs, National Law Universities, IISER, NIDs, or IIITs. –If they hold qualifications such as CA, CMA, CS, MBBS, BDS, MBA, PhD, or any master's or higher degree (recognised by the UGC). –They are undergoing any skill, apprenticeship, internship, or training programme under a Central or State Government scheme. –If they have already completed an apprenticeship under the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) or National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). –If the income of any of the family members (self, parents, or spouse) exceeds Rs 8 lakh for FY 2023-24. –If any member of the family (self, parents, or spouse) is a permanent or regular government employee (excluding contractual employees). –International candidates are not eligible to apply for the PM Internship Scheme What documents are required to register for the internship? Eligible candidates have to upload these documents while registering: –Aadhaar card –Educational certificates (Completion / final examination/assessment certificates will be considered) Candidates will be able to edit the application except for the details that are auto-fetched from the Aadhaar card. How to register or apply online for the PM Internship Scheme? Step 1. Visit the official website — Step 2. On the homepage, click on the register link, and a new page will open. Step 3. Fill in the registration details and click on submit. Step 4. Based on the information provided by the candidates, a resume will be generated by the portal. Step 5. Apply for up to 5 internship opportunities based on preferences- location, sector, functional role and qualifications. Step 6. Once done, click on submit and download the confirmation page. Step 7. Keep a hard copy of the same for further use. What are the starting and the last dates for the PM Internship Scheme? The government has not shared any date as to when round two will start; however, as per media reports, round two will likely start on August one. Is there any age relaxation or reservation for the candidates? There is no formal reservation criteria for the internships; however, the shortlisting process emphasises diversity and inclusion, allowing companies to select candidates based on their criteria, while the portal ensures that candidates from diverse backgrounds are considered for internships. How to log in to the PM Internship Scheme? Students will need the username and password set during youth registration to login on the portal. Will I get an internship stipend? After joining the internship, each intern will receive a monthly assistance of Rs 5,000for the entire duration of the 12-month internship. Partner companies will release Rs 500 each month based on the intern's attendance and related company policies. Once the Company makes the payment, the Government will pay Rs 4,500 to the candidate through the Direct Benefit Transfer to the intern's Aadhaar-seeded bank account. What is the duration of the internship? Internships under the PM Internship Scheme are for one year. Is there a guarantee of employment after completing the internship? As mentioned on the website, there is no guarantee of employment after completing the internship. It depends on the company's policies and the work of the candidate to offer employment. It is important to note that an internship offer does not create any contractual or legal employer-employee relationship between the Ministry, the company, and the intern. Can I reapply for an internship after the one-year period? Yes, dropped-out interns are eligible to reapply for an internship under the PM Internship Scheme after a year. Are there any performance evaluations during the internship? Yes, the Ministry will establish a transparent process to recognise and award interns based on their exceptional performance, innovation, and other criteria. Feedback will be provided to interns to improve and grow, and these evaluations will be carried out by the supervisor and HR. The interns will be able to view his/her quarterly progress report on the portal under the 'Quarterly Progress Report feedback' tile in the 'My internship' section. Can I apply again to other internships after leaving my current internship? If a candidate leaves their ongoing internship before completion, they will not be allowed to apply for any other internship under the PM Internship Scheme for one year from the date of their joining. Which companies are participating in the PM Internship Scheme? Interns will have the opportunity to work with leading companies across various sectors, including Reliance Industries Limited, Tata Consultancy Services Limited, The Times Group, ITC Limited, and Hindustan Unilever Limited. Whom to connect with in case of issues? Interns can submit their grievances or queries through the grievance redressal tools on the official portal. They can raise a grievance by clicking on the 'Add Grievance button under the 'File a Grievance' section. For any queries or further information, applicants can contact the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at 1800 11 6090 or via email at pminternship@
News18
26-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
‘Malaise' has plagued PMs apprenticeship scheme: Congress
New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday alleged that 'malaise" has plagued the PM's apprenticeship scheme, claiming that the hallmark of the Modi government has been to make grand announcements with 'zero" follow through. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, cited a media report that claimed a decline in offers and acceptance rate in the PM Internship Scheme. 'We had previously flagged that the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) – inspired by Congress' 2024 Lok Sabha campaign guarantee of 'Pehli Naukri Pakki', a year-long apprenticeship for all graduates and diploma-bearers – is being botched by a government with no administrative talent," Ramesh alleged in a post on X. In May, Ramesh claimed that Modi government's flagship PMIS launched in October 2024 was off to a 'stuttering start" with a low turnout and high attrition. 'It now emerges that the same malaise continues to plague this scheme many months on – 1.18 lakh internship opportunities were opened through PMIS in round two, but only 71,458 offers were made. This is a drop of 13 per cent compared to round one when 82,077 roles were on offer," Ramesh claimed. Till July 17, he further claimed, just 22,584 of the 71,458 offers were accepted by the candidates – less than the 28,000 students who accepted the internship in round one. 'In round one, only 8,725 (7 per cent) of the 28,000 students who accepted the internship offers actually joined the company they were placed at. We are yet to find out how many joined the internship in this round," Ramesh said. 'The funds allocated under this scheme remain constantly under-utilised and the internships actually completed under this programme are minimal – a far cry from the government's stated goal of 1 crore internships in the next five years," the Congress leader added. Ramesh also claimed that the UPA government launched and successfully implemented some of the most complex and elaborate government programmes in the world – the MGNREGA, the Food Security Bill, and Right to Education. 'This government's hallmark has been to make grand announcements with zero follow through – simply because it runs on the whims and fancies of one man," he alleged. PTI SKC ARI view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 21:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
