PM Internship Scheme: Government Likely To Apply Reservation Policy

The government's reservations will be applicable in selecting the candidates under the PM internship scheme, a top source in Ministry of Corporate Affairs said. 

“Existing reservation policy for individuals with disabilities, other backward classes, Scheduled Tribes, and Scheduled Castes, may come under the Scheme, official said. 

Added that contour of the scheme is in works and reservation will be covered eventually under the scheme. 

The negative list will be put out by the MCA outlining the eligible candidates to participate in the scheme, according to the source. These include candidates from economically weaker sections families where any of their family members has an annual income of more than Rs 8 lakh for the fiscal 2023-24.

Call centres have been made operational in several languages including Odia, Gujarati, Assamese, Marathi, Kannada, Bengali and Telugu. Among the queries received on the helpline so far, 44% candidates are graduates, 13% are post-graduates, 11% are 12th pass, 3% are with or without additional diploma, 3% are 10th pass, 1% are 8th pass and rest belong to the miscellaneous.

Over 900 candidates who have made the queries regarding the internship scheme were from ITIs, 59 were diploma holders and 17 have B. Pharma degree.

The development came after the government on Thursday launched the pilot project of the PM Internship Scheme, which is expected to benefit over one lakh candidates seeking internship opportunities.

The candidates can apply for internships under the scheme between Oct. 12 and Oct. 25, people familiar with the matter told NDTV Profit on Thursday, adding that the duration of the internship will be 12 months.

The selected applicants will have to accept the offer between Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, the above people said, adding that the scheme will commence from Dec. 2. and the pilot project is aimed at providing internship opportunities to 1.25 lakh candidates at an expenditure of Rs 800 crore in this fiscal.

“Lots of companies are willing to participate in the government-sponsored voluntary scheme. We expect manufacturing companies would be the first ones to invite applicants," the people said.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, which is the nodal ministry for the scheme, is finalising guidelines for the scheme and will put out the eligibility criteria for interns. The rules may limit participation to economically weaker sections of society with combined annual income below Rs 10 lakh, one of the persons privy to the development said.

The internship portal, to be activated by MCA, will act as a one-stop website for companies and candidates alike. Candidates in online courses and vocational training could be eligible for the programme, they said.

The internship scheme announced in the July Union Budget of 2024 is part of the government’s initiative to encourage and align skill development with corporate demands.

Top corporates such as Adani Group, Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, and Reliance Industries have expressed interest in participating in the scheme, people cited above said.

Companies will be able to use their corporate social responsibility resources to pay for interns' training expenses under the programme.

Each intern's stipend will be divided, with Rs 4,500 coming from government funding and Rs 500 from business CSR funds, giving candidates a total of Rs 5,000 each month. Every intern will also get a one-time payment of Rs 6,000 from the government.

While applying for the position, applicants must complete a brief questionnaire describing their qualifications and interests.

After matching these talents with open positions at partner companies, the portal will automatically create resumes for the applicants.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her 2024 Budget presentation, underlined, “This internship initiative will equip our young workforce with practical skills, aligning them with the needs of industry and helping bridge the gap between education and employment.”