Increased Youth Participation in PM Internship Scheme, Yet Challenges Persist

Several significant changes have been introduced to the Prime Minister’s (PM) Internship Scheme. Its scope has been expanded beyond the top 500 companies to include MSMEs and the 'sunrise' sectors. The monthly stipend has been nearly doubled to ₹9,000.

Launched by the Central Government to provide employment opportunities to the youth and help them showcase their skills, the PM Internship Scheme has undergone major revisions. The scope of the scheme has been broadened to include MSMEs and sunrise sectors, and the monthly stipend has been nearly doubled to ₹9,000. Furthermore, eligibility criteria regarding age and education have been relaxed, and the duration of the internship has been adjusted from 12 months to a range of 6 to 9 months. Following these changes, youth participation in the third round has seen an increase of 67% to 100%. However, according to data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, a new challenge has emerged: the rate at which youth actually join the internships—relative to the total number of opportunities posted by companies—remains below 10%. It is worth noting that the third round of the PM Internship Scheme, which began in April, is set to conclude in December.

PM Internship Scheme at a Glance

According to data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, 127,508 internship opportunities were posted by companies during the first round, attracting 621,000 applications. While 60,866 candidates received offers, only 8,760—approximately 6.9%—actually joined the internships. Out of these, only 3,731—or 42.6 percent—of the youth were able to complete their internships.

Looking at the data for Round 2, companies posted 118,948 positions, for which they received 455,000 applications. Out of 71,192 offers made, only 7,308 candidates—or 6.1 percent—actually joined the companies. Among these, the completion rate was 39.4 percent, meaning 2,880 candidates successfully finished their internships.

Moving on to Round 3, which began in April 2026: in this round, 340 companies posted a record 154,366 positions, attracting 350,259 applications. Offers were extended to 25,794 candidates, of whom 14,620 have joined so far. While this has improved the joining rate for the third round to 9.5 percent, it still remains 10 percent below the total number of opportunities available.

Why are young people leaving their internships midway?

Several reasons have emerged for why youth are quitting the PM Internship program prematurely. One participant from Ranchi, who holds a diploma in computer hardware, shared that instead of gaining skills in an office environment—as he had expected given his background in computer maintenance—he was assigned the role of a loan recovery agent, which involved extensive fieldwork. Consequently, he decided to leave the internship. Other candidates mentioned that they received offers for full-time jobs elsewhere while undergoing their internships, which led them to quit.

Meanwhile, another participant in the PM Internship program shared that he had joined an internship at an oil refinery company while in his first year of a BBA program. They allege that their assigned tasks were limited to visiting petrol pumps, persuading customers to make payments via the company’s app, and promoting cashback offers—roles that required no specific skills or formal office training. Consequently, they chose to leave the internship. Similarly, young participants have cited various other reasons for opting out of the PM Internship Scheme.

Excellent Experience in the IT and Manufacturing Sectors

While there have been complaints regarding field-work requirements in certain sectors under the PM Internship Scheme, the experience of candidates in the IT and manufacturing sectors has been highly positive. Some young participants have shared their experiences in these fields; for instance, a youth from Vijayawada began an internship at an IT company in January 2025. His program included four months of instructor-led training, two months of self-paced digital learning, and six months of on-the-job training. Following the completion of this 12-month internship and a recruitment examination, he secured a full-time position at the same IT company in March 2026.