The Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), launched as a pilot in October 2024, aims to provide one crore internships to youth in 500 top companies over five years, with a target of 1.25 lakh internships per year.
Despite high interest, the scheme has faced challenges with low acceptance and completion rates.
High Application Numbers But Low Acceptance
In Round I, more than 1.27 lakh internship opportunities were posted, attracting over 6.21 lakh applications from about 1.81 lakh candidates.
Companies extended over 82,000 offers to about 60,000 candidates, but only around 8,700 offers were accepted. By late November 2025, 4,565 interns had left their positions prematurely.
Round II, started in January 2025, saw over 1.18 lakh internships posted and around 4.55 lakh applications from 2.14 lakh applicants. Companies made 83,000 offers with 24,600 accepted, but 2,053 candidates left before completing their internships.
What's Behind Low Acceptance and Early Dropouts?
Several factors have contributed to low acceptance and dropouts. Key reasons include the internship locations being inconvenient for many candidates, with an ideal travel distance preferred between 5 to 10 kilometres.
The mandatory internship duration of 12 months is also longer than typical skilling programs, which may have probably deterred some students.
Additionally, some candidates were not interested in the offered roles, leading to withdrawal.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Skill Development Focus
The evaluation of the PMIS focuses on skill development, practical work experience, and employability enhancement by bridging academic and industry gaps.
A Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework tracks progress and outcomes continuously. Feedback is collected from candidates, industries, education institutions, and state governments to refine the scheme.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) said that they are working closely with stakeholders such as state governments, ministries, and industry associations to promote PMIS through outreach campaigns, workshops, and seminars.
To get the desired results the MCA said that this pilot phase is crucial for testing and evolving the scheme's design before full-scale implementation.
Based on the results, adjustments will be made based on ongoing feedback to improve internship relevance, availability, and student engagement, addressing concerns like location and duration to make the scheme more attractive and effective for youth empowerment.
Also Read: Nirmala Sitharaman Launches App For PM Internship Scheme, Aims For 1.25 Lakh Opportunities
It should be noted that in the Budget Estimate of FY 2024-25, an amount of Rs 2,000 crore was allocated by MCA for PM Internship Scheme.
For the Pilot Project of the PM Internship Scheme, targeted at providing 1.25 lakh internship opportunities to the youth, an amount of Rs 840 crore was approved.
The revised estimate was arrived at Rs 380 crore in the FY 2024-25. For the FY 2025-26, an amount of Rs 10,831.07 crore has been allocated.
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