What is the story about?
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has outlined comprehensive guidelines for the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS). Announced in Budget 2024-25,
it is a great opportunity for young minds to work with India’s top 500 companies, fostering hands-on learning and professional development. With its assistance, students can gain exposure to a real-life business environment across varied professions and employment opportunities. With the launch of this scheme, a pilot project aimed at offering 1.25 lakh internship opportunities was introduced in the Financial Year (FY) 2024-25. Implemented across two rounds during FY 2024-25 and 2025-26, the project has now been extended to December 2026, with a target of providing 1.10 lakh internship opportunities. "Interns, for the purpose of this Pilot Project, are not to be treated as employees as clarified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment vide its OM dated 27.09.2024," the official guidelines PDF states.
What’s the Duration of PM Internship Scheme 2026
The internship period will either be six or nine months, depending on the nature of the internship, sector, and company requirements. A minimum of half of the internship duration should be spent in the actual working experience/job environment, instead of the classroom.
Notably, the internship duration for the existing interns of the pilot project will remain 12 months.
Who’s Eligible for PM Internship Scheme 2026
Students who fulfil the following eligibility requirements can apply:
- Age: He/She must be aged between 18 and 25 years (as on the date of submission of application), must be an Indian national, and must not be working full-time to be considered eligible.
- Educational Qualifications: Candidates who have passed High School, Higher Secondary School, possess a certificate from an ITI, hold a diploma from a Polytechnic Institution, or are undergraduates with degrees such as BA, B.Sc., B.Com, BCA, BBA, B.Pharma, B.E./B.Tech., etc., or postgraduates with degrees such as MA, M.Sc., M.Com, MCA, M.Tech, etc., are eligible to apply.
Important Note: Applicants must not be engaged in full-time education. However, candidates enrolled in online or distance learning programs, or candidates enrolled in the final year of full-time graduation or post-graduation, are eligible to apply. Guidelines regarding the inclusion of full-time final-year graduation and post-graduation students will be issued separately.
Monthly Assistance to Interns
Candidates will be paid an amount of Rs 9000 throughout the internship period. The amount will be jointly paid by the Company and the Government. Of the total amount, the company will release ₹900, i.e. 10% of the total monthly assistance, to each intern from the Company’s CSR funds or its own funds every month. Once the Company/Organisation makes the payment, the Government will pay its share of Rs 8,100 to the intern’s Aadhaar-seeded bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer.
If an organisation wants to offer monthly assistance over and above Rs 9000, it may do so from its own funds.
Registration and Application Process for Candidates
After meticulously reading the eligibility criteria, candidates will have to register themselves on the official portal using their mobile number and other required information. Based on the details filled in, a resume will be generated by the portal. Shortly, a browsing facility will be made available to candidates for preferred sectors, functional roles, locations, and other criteria.
Subsequently, candidates will be allowed to apply for internship opportunities based on their preferences, including location (state, district), sector, functional role, and qualifications.
Shortlisting and Selection Criteria
Check out the selection criteria set by the authorities.
- Candidates will be narrowed down based on their preferences and the requirements prescribed by the companies.
- The shortlisting criteria are aimed at promoting diversity and social inclusiveness in the internship program. To ensure this, the portal will use tools to give representation to all such segments of the population, such as the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Other Backward Classes, as well as Persons with Disabilities.
- Based on the number of internship opportunities and the number of applications received, the applications will be shortlisted and sent to the company for final selection.
- Companies can use their discretion in selecting candidates and making internship offers based on selection criteria and processes.
- Once a candidate receives an offer, he/she has to accept or reject it via the portal.
Interns to Get Verified Completion Certificate!
Post successful completion of internship, candidates will receive a digital, tamper-proof and shareable verified completion certificate. It will be jointly issued by MCA and the company they interned with.
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