PM internship scheme likely to be modified

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The PM internship scheme, which is currently in pilot stage, is likely to see a host of changes before it is officially launched. The scheme, which was announced in the previous budget, will see changes based on inputs from the pilot and from industry, according to three persons informed about discussions in the government.

The Centre is yet to finalise the aspects that will be refined, but the extent of stipend is unlikely to be raised, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. The scheme offers ₹5,000 a month stipend to interns and a one-time payment of ₹6,000 on joining. The key elements of the scheme are the stipend, eligibility criteria for application and certain parameters used to target the scheme for disadvantaged sections of society.

The scheme is not open to those from families with income above ₹8 lakh in FY24 and those from families with any member having permanent government employment. Also, it is not open to having coveted professional degrees on medicine, technology, law or management. Once the scheme is finetuned to enhance its reach and effectiveness, the corporate affairs ministry will seek cabinet approval for launch, said one of the persons quoted above.

“Learnings from the current pilot project will aid in modifying the scheme," said the person. Also read | Mint Primer | PM Internship scheme: will it be a game changer? The pilot project, which was rolled out on 3 October, has received 621,000 applications from candidates against 127,000 opportunities announced by businesses, the ministry said on 29 December, adding that the selection process was ongoing. The target, however, is to give internship opportunities to 10 million people over