Context:
Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS): As per the Standing Committee Report on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), top five emerged companies being the leading providers of internship opportunities
Breakdown of Interns by Gender and Age
- Interns by Gender
- 72% Male
- 28% Female
- Main Point of Feedback: Need for improvement in gender dynamics and location based opportunities (appropriate travel distance: 5 10 km).
State wise Participation
- Uttar Pradesh – 1,234
- Assam – 994
- Bihar – 715
- Madhya Pradesh – 693
Challenges Identified in MCA
- Mismatch in published internship opportunities versus actual participation
- Imbalanced gender ratio
- Longer duration of internship not matching the expectations of candidates
- Unmatching interests of individual candidates with roles provided
- Problems related to age criteria for applicants from ITI and Polytechnic
- Location constraint for internship acceptance
Funding and Allocation
- FY2024-25
- Budget Estimate (BE): ₹2,000 crore
- Revised Estimate (RE): ₹380 crore
- Actual spending (till mid February 2025): ₹21.10 crore
- FY2025 26
- Amount will now enhance to ₹10,831.07 crore
Recommendations by the Parliamentary Panel
- Intensification of outreach and mass awareness of the scheme.
- Encourage States to establish specific agencies for implementing and monitoring.
- Respond adequately to challenges such as gender imbalance, role mismatch, and geographic constraints.
- Move towards the ambitious target of internship for one crore youth in 500 top companies over five years.
