PM Internship Scheme Round 3 Sees Surge to 17,637 Joinings Following Government Revisions

Overview of the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme

The Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS) was announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 with the core objective of providing structured internship opportunities to the youth in top companies ^[1]. Through the initiative, participating youth gain exposure to real-life business environments across varied professions and employment opportunities ^[1]. The pilot project is designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements, thereby enhancing participants' overall employability ^[1].

For the purposes of the pilot project, interns are not classified as regular employees, as clarified by the Ministry of Labor and Employment ^[1]. Furthermore, the scheme operates independently of all existing central and state-level skill development, apprenticeship, and internship programmes ^[1].

Recent Uptake and Round 3 Performance

India's PM Internship Scheme has experienced a stronger take-off in its third round, with official and source-based figures showing 17,637 candidates joining as of the first week of August ^[5]. This marks a notable increase compared to the 10,195 joinings reported by the government in Parliament during July ^[5].

Earlier rounds had generated substantial interest and a high volume of applications, but struggled with lower conversion rates into actual joinings and persistent retention challenges ^[5]. Round 1 recorded over 1.27 lakh opportunities and more than 6.21 lakh applications, resulting in 8,760 joinings ^[5]. Round 2 saw over 1.18 lakh opportunities and 4.55 lakh applications, with 7,308 candidate joinings ^[5]. In contrast, the numbers for Round 3 reflect 1,77,567 available internship opportunities, 3,50,259 applications, 1,41,286 applicants, and 32,330 offers made alongside the 17,637 joinings ^[5].

Key Structural Changes and Policy Revisions

The growth in Round 3 participation follows significant policy adjustments introduced by the government to address challenges identified during the first two rounds ^[5]. Government data presented in Parliament highlighted issues such as internship location preferences, long durations, and mismatches between candidate profiles and offered roles ^[5].

To improve engagement and uptake, the Centre implemented several revisions:

• Eligibility Expansion: The age bracket was modified to include youth aged between 18 and 25 years ^[1], and eligibility was expanded to incorporate final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students ^[6].
• Duration Adjustments: The internship duration was adjusted to either 6 or 9 months, depending on the nature of the internship, sector, and company requirements, whereas existing interns under the pilot project continued on a 12-month tenure ^[1]. The guidelines specify that at least half of the internship period must be spent in an actual working or job environment rather than a classroom ^[1].
• Stipend Enhancement: The monthly financial stipend provided to interns was increased from ₹5,000 to ₹9,000 ^[5].
• Widened Company Participation: The pool of eligible participating organizations was broadened to include professional associations and institutions such as ICAI, ICSI, and ICAMAI, selected MSMEs through sectoral associations, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and companies nominated by state governments alongside top corporate entities ^[1].

Eligibility Criteria for Candidates and Partner Companies

To participate in the PM Internship Scheme pilot project extension, candidates must be Indian citizens aged 18 to 25 years who are not engaged in full-time employment or full-time education ^[1]. Final-year graduate and postgraduate students are also permitted to participate ^[1].

On the corporate side, eligible partner companies include those that participated in Rounds 1 and 2, as well as companies with corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure in each of the last three financial years (FY 2022-23, FY 2023-24, and FY 2024-25) that meet specific benchmarks ^[1]. These benchmarks cover the top 2000 companies based on average CSR expenditure, companies with an annual turnover exceeding ₹1,000 crores, companies with a net worth exceeding ₹500 crores in the immediately preceding financial year, and enterprises from under-represented sectors ^[1].

Application Process and Official Portal

Eligible candidates looking to participate in the scheme can review detailed guidelines and submit their applications through the official portal managed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at https://pminternship.mca.gov.in/login/ ^[1]. While the early jump in joinings indicates positive momentum from recent modifications, ongoing tracking will determine how effectively the revised structure improves long-term completion and retention rates ^[5].

Sources

1. - www.ugc.gov.in
2. PM Internship Scheme Round 3: 17,637 candidates join as government tweaks drive stronger uptake - CNBC TV18 www.cnbctv18.com
3. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 17 ANSWERED ON MONDAY THE 20 JULY, 2026 sansad.in