Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, February 4, clarified in Rajya Sabha that the Prime Minister Internship Scheme does not provide employment but is a means for exposure. The Prime Minister Internship Scheme, which was announced in 2024, aims to provide skills to the youth to make them job ready.
“The intent of the programme itself is not to provide job, but to provide an exposure, and through the internship, and kind of awareness of what is there in the market for which they have to be trained,” Nirmala Sitharaman told Rajya Sabha, responding to a question during the Question Hour.
She clarified and said that internship is different from employment, and explained the details of PM internship scheme and asserted that the government wanted to allow youth to get an internship or exposure in the top 500 companies.
Nirmala Sitharaman said, “With the exposure and the internship having been completed, they would be better placed to seek jobs.”
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In the July 2024 budget, the BJP-led NDA government outlined five key approaches for achieving Viksit Bharat. One of these includes initiatives to promote manufacturing and services through internship programmes.
The government announced launching a comprehensive scheme for providing internship opportunities in 500 top companies to 1 crore youth over 5 years. They will gain exposure for 12 months to real-life business environments, varied professions and employment opportunities.
The internship programmed included an allowance of ₹5,000 per month and one-time assistance of ₹6,000. Companies will be expected to bear the training cost and 10 per cent of the internship cost from their CSR funds.
The internship programme was meant for people who, till then, couldn’t find an opportunity because either they were not skilled enough, or they were not trained enough.
On the allowances, Nirmala Sitharaman said some companies were also providing internship allowances. “Some are providing them accommodation if they come from a different district, although that is not part of the tailored scheme. Companies themselves have come forward. So when the candidates get to know they also want to change or move to a company which is giving them (more),” she said.
The first internship pilot started last year itself. The second pilot commenced from January this year. “Nearly 80 more companies have come with more offers…So it’s an evolving situation, and I’m glad, within the four months, first four months of after announcing the July budget, we have this kind of response,” she said.
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