In the first round of the scheme, a total of 4,920 candidates from Punjab and Haryana received 6,732 internship offers from partner companies. However, 1,516 candidates accepted the 12-month internship offers.
Among the 4,382 applicants from Haryana, 1,293 (approximately 30%) took the offer, while 223 of 538 candidates from Punjab (roughly 41%) opted for the internship. These details were provided by the minister of state for corporate affairs, Harsh Malhotra, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.
Interns under the scheme are provided a monthly stipend of ₹5,000 for the 12-month internship period, along with a one-time grant of ₹6,000 for incidental expenses. The PMIS aims to provide youth with exposure to real-life business environments by offering internships in top corporate companies.
The data was released on the same day the first batch of 104 illegal immigrants, including 63 from Punjab and Haryana, was deported from the US. This highlights the growing trend among youth in these two states to seek job opportunities abroad, often citing limited local prospects.
Overall, 82,077 offers were extended to 60,866 candidates from 35 states and union territories during the first round of the PMIS pilot project, which began on October 3, last year. Across the country, 28,141 candidates accepted internship offers from partner companies.
The scheme is designed to provide 1.27 lakh placements across 745 districts the country in the financial year 2024-25. Of this, 2,314 placements are available in Punjab, while 7,764 placements are available in Haryana.
The second round of the pilot project started on January 9 and is currently ongoing.
The PMIS was announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the budget 2024-25, with the goal of offering internship opportunities to one crore youth over the next five years, providing them exposure in a variety of professional fields and sectors. The scheme is aimed at supporting youth in gaining skills and real-world work experience.
To be eligible for the PMIS, candidates must be aged between 21 and 24 and have completed at least high school. Those with a certificate from an ITI, a diploma from a polytechnic institute, or a degree such as BA, BSc, BCom, BCA, BBA, or B.Pharma are also eligible. Additionally, applicants must not be employed full-time or engaged in full-time education.
Partner companies offering internships include TCS, ONGC, RIL, Infosys, Wipro, ITC, L&T, HCL, Maruti Suzuki, BPCL, and Titan. These companies have been selected based on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure over the past three 3 years.
