Budget 2025: PM Internship Scheme Could Be Expanded To Make It More Attractive
The government is considering tweaking the PM Internship scheme by widening the reach of the programme and easing eligibility criteria in the upcoming Union Budget, sources told NDTV Profit.
The internship scheme, which is currently in pilot mode, is likely to reach out to states and respective districts and may invite more companies to participate.
Subsequently, there could be modifications in the current eligibility criteria, including age and qualification. At present, youth aged 21-24 years would apply if they completed 10th, 12th, ITI, Polytechnic, or diploma courses.
“The Ministry of Corporate Affairs or MCA, is working on eligibility criteria for the scheme, looking at the popularity during its pilot run,” a person in the know said. He added that some relaxation in age limit is also being considered. Sources said that the scheme could be rolled out in full next month.
Notably during the pilot stage, the scheme offered opportunities to about 80,000-90,000 of the total 1.27 lakh opportunities being posted by the companies.
As of Dec 29, the internship scheme received approximately 6.21 lakh applications against 1.27 lakh.
The scheme aimed at providing opportunities to 1.25 lakh people by the end of March.
The internship scheme was announced in the previous Union budget, and it aims to provide internship opportunities to 1 crore youth in the top 500 companies over five years.
“Through this scheme, youth will gain exposure to real-life business environments across varied professions and employment opportunities.
The interns will be provided with financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month for 12 months, of which Rs 4,500 would be disbursed by the Union government, and Rs 500 per month would be paid by the company from its corporate social responsibility or CSR funds,” the Centre had said.
-
A New Samvat Wishlist: Inclusive Prosperity And Human Development
India has strengthened its economic foundations through infrastructure, digital access and enterprise. Its next growth chapter must deepen productivity, create better livelihoods and widen participation in prosperity.
-
Love, Sex Aur Dhokha: The Audacious Plot To Spy On Jensen Huang
A Taipei dinner, a Singapore chip buyer and a suspected Chinese asset: inside the alleged spy operation that got close to NVIDIA's Jensen Huang.
-
Ten Things I Learnt This Samvat
Patience can be a trap. Cheap stocks can stay cheap. Leverage can wipe you out. What did Samvat 2082 teach us? Niraj Shah writes on 10 lessons from the year gone by.
-
Talking Points This Week: Tech Nerves, FII Buying, And A Faraway Banking Shock
The global markets are not shining this Diwali. The exception in the large markets is, India.
-
Midterm Rally Lasted A Day. The Hard Reality Of A Divided US May Last Two Years | Opinion
Between a contested AI boom, a debt ceiling that arrives in 2027 and a president with every incentive to act alone, the next two years may prove more volatile than the first day's rally suggests.
-
Blue Wave Will Derail the AI Trade but Won't Dismantle the AI Era | Unhedged Position
The Democrats' sweep of the US Congress will see politics collide with economic forces both over the long and short term.
-
It's Time To Take The GST Council's Bet On Trust Global
Payment records can prove India's services exports, and clear, proportionate rules can bring foreign digital sellers into the tax net.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.
-
Navigating Energy Crossroads: S Jaishankar's Call For Diversified Supply Chains At G20 Ministerial Meeting
As geopolitical fault lines continue to test maritime trade routes and commodity flows, Jaishankar's message remains pertinent: true economic resilience requires open markets, protected transit lines, and a genuine commitment to multilateral cooperation rather than coercion.
