PM Internship Scheme 3rd Pilot Likely from Mid-January with Shorter Durations

The government is preparing to roll out the 3rd pilot phase of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme with design changes aimed at addressing lower acceptance rates seen in earlier rounds. 

PM Internship Scheme Pilot Timing and Proposed Tweaks 

As per news reports, the 3rd round of the pilot is likely to begin from mid-January. While the scheme is structured as a 12-month programme, the upcoming phase may introduce shorter internship durations in certain sectors, including services, to make roles more aligned with candidate expectations. The changes are being considered after participation levels dipped in the second round of the pilot. 

Participation Trends and Company Wise Data 

Government data presented in Parliament showed that acceptances declined 12.4% in the 2nd round compared with the first. While 28,141 candidates accepted internship offers in round 1, the number fell to 24,638 in round 2.  

Acceptance rates also dropped from 34% to 29%, even though the number of offers rose slightly in the second phase. In round 2, Jubilant Foodworks offered the highest number of internships at 13,658, followed by Power Grid Corporation of India with 7,880 and HDFC Bank with 6,800. Around 70 new companies joined the programme during the second round. 

Scheme Objectives, Feedback and Financial Support 

The Prime Minister Internship Scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2024–25 and aims to provide internship opportunities to 10 million young people across the top 500 companies over 5 years.  

As an initial step, a pilot was launched on October 3 last year with a target of 125,000 internships in one year.  

Under the scheme, interns receive ₹6,000 via direct benefit transfer on joining, insurance cover under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima and PM Suraksha Yojana, and monthly assistance of ₹5,000, of which ₹4,500 is paid by the government and ₹500 by companies from CSR funds, with scope for additional support from companies. 

Read More: Indian Government Launched Market Access Support (MAS) to Strengthen International Market Access! 

Conclusion 

With adjustments under consideration for the 3rd pilot, the government is seeking to improve alignment, participation and scale under the PM Internship Scheme, while continuing financial support and expanding industry engagement. 

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