Bad News for Youth! Major Changes Announced in Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme Rules

The central government has hinted at a major change in the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, which is being implemented to directly connect the youth of the country with the corporate world. According to several sources, plans are underway to reduce the internship period and reconsider the age limit for eligibility to make the scheme more realistic. And this decision has been taken after reviewing the experience in the two pilot stages in the initial stage.

Current structure of the scheme

Let me tell you that currently, training opportunities are available in top 500 organizations under the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme. The duration is 12 years and the age limit for eligibility is 21 to 24 years. Along with this, an allowance of Rs 5000 is given every month and a one-time stipend of Rs 6000 is given. And this scheme has to be applied for online. The main aim of this internship was to make the youth employable by providing hands-on training.

Why are the changes being made?

Meanwhile, the statistics of the two pilot stages are giving the Indian government a new thought. It has been seen that only 33 percent of the total offers are being accepted, and the joining rate has come down to just 6%. On the other hand, many are leaving the internship midway. According to experts, there are several reasons behind this. Firstly, the allowance amount here is very low and 12 months is a very long time. Secondly, there is uncertainty about the location of the workplace. Thirdly, the future job prospects are also unclear. Keeping these realities in mind, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has proposed changes to the committee.

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The new proposal indicates that the internship period may be reduced significantly. And the age limit will be re-determined again. Along with this, the structure will be more flexible, and the revised model will first be tested in a pilot project. In that case, there are plans to test this new format on about 1 lakh trainees.

Budget reduced

It is worth noting that Rs 10,800 crore was allocated for this scheme in the financial year 2025-24. However, in reality, most of it has not been spent. Therefore, the budget has been reduced to Rs 4,788 crore for the financial year 2026-27. Experts claim that the revised proposals may soon be taken up for approval by the Union Cabinet.