Internship scheme opens for registration, over 80K posts listed

Last Updated15/10/2024

Youth applicants aged between 21-24 years can now apply for the PM Internship Scheme, with the government opening the registration window for them on Saturday.

The Indian government has opened registration for the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme, allowing applicants aged 21-24 to apply. The scheme aims to provide one crore youth with internship opportunities in India's top 500 companies over the next five years.
This initiative is part of the government's larger effort to enhance youth employability by offering hands-on experience in various sectors.

Over 80,000 internship opportunities have already been listed across 24 sectors and 737 districts on the PM Internship Portal. Key sectors with the highest listings include:

Manufacturing and Automotive: 16,000 positions
Banking and Financial Services: 10,000 positions
Five states — Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh — account for over 56% of the total internships. Maharashtra leads with 10,242 opportunities, followed closely by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

Candidates can register for internships through the PM Internship Portal at pminternship.mca.gov.in. Companies have already begun listing internships, including major names like Mahindra & Mahindra, Alembic Pharma, Max Life Insurance, Jubilant Foodworks, Eicher Motors, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, and Muthoot Finance.

Selection process: A shortlist of candidates will be shared with companies between October 27 to November 7, 2024.
Acceptance of offers: Candidates can accept internship offers between November 8 to November 15, 2024.
Interns who do not accept their first offer will receive two more opportunities.

Selected interns will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 4,500 from the government, supplemented by an additional Rs 500 from the company's CSR funds. Additionally, interns will be provided with a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 per annum for incidental expenses.

Eligible candidates include those who have completed high school, higher secondary education, ITI certificates, diplomas, or graduation in fields such as B.A., B.Sc., B.Com, BCA, BBA, B.Pharma. The scheme will follow the government’s reservation structure for SC, ST, OBC, and disabled candidates.
However, candidates whose families earn more than Rs 8 lakh per annum or have a member employed as a regular government worker will be ineligible. Additionally, graduates from premier institutions such as IITs, IIMs, NLUs, IISERs, NIDs, and those with advanced degrees (e.g., CA, CMA, MBBS, MBA) are also excluded from the scheme.

This internship scheme was first announced in the 2024-25 Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as part of the Prime Minister’s Package for Employment and Skilling. The scheme’s Rs 2 lakh crore budget aims to equip young Indians with industry-relevant skills, with a particular focus on those with lower employability prospects.
The pilot phase of the scheme is expected to offer internships to 1.25 lakh candidates by December 2024, involving an investment of Rs 800 crore.