On Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a smartphone application specifically designed for the Prime Minister’s Internship Program.
The app has a number of features, such as a user-friendly interface with a simple layout and easy navigation; simple registration via Aadhaar facial authentication; a personalised dashboard with easy navigation (eligible candidates can sort through opportunities by location, etc.); and real-time alerts to keep candidates informed of new developments.
In five years, the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS Scheme), which was unveiled in the Budget 2024–2025, intends to offer internship opportunities to one crore young people in the top 500 firms. On October 3, 2024, the pilot project was launched as a precursor to this scheme with the goal of offering 1.25 lakh internship opportunities to young people.
The program offers paid internships for 12 months at prestigious Indian companies. The program is intended for people between the ages of 21 and 24 who are not presently enrolled in full-time schooling or full-time jobs. A one-time payment of ₹6,000 will be added to the ₹5,000 monthly financial aid that each intern would receive. It is anticipated that companies will use their CSR funding to cover the training and 10% of the internship expenses.
After the app’s launch, Finance Minister Sitharaman said, “The government is keeping in mind we need to give that confidence to our youth. We need youth to understand what it takes to get into such top 500 companies.”
“That demographic dividend which exists should be available for the industry so that their productivity, their future can be better endowed with our youngsters.”
“This attempt by the Corporate affairs to make it accessible in all Indian languages in the website is a very good step forward. You cannot limit students to English. Every language in India should have its dominance, especially if the students are from non-metropolitan cities. Now by launching a mobile app, you’re making it even more accessible,” she adds.
The BJP-led NDA government unveiled five distinct strategies for Viksit Bharat in the July 2024 budget. These included initiatives to use internships to advance manufacturing and services. The internship program was designed for those who, up until that point, had been unable to find employment due to a lack of training or skills.
