Govt expands eligibility criteria of PM Internship Scheme to include final-year students, youths aged 18-25 years can now apply to paid internships in top companies

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has expanded the eligibility criteria for the pilot phase of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) to include final-year students pursuing graduate and postgraduate programmes.

The move aims to strengthen youth employability and industry readiness by allowing more students to gain practical experience through paid internships in top companies. Final-year graduate and postgraduate students aged between 18 and 25 years can now apply for these opportunities via the official PMIS portal.

According to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the modification aligns with the goals of India’s National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasises enhancing student employability, skill development, and smoother transitions from education to the workforce.

Key Highlights of the Updated Scheme are:

• Final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students are now eligible to apply under PMIS.
• Applicants must continue to meet the existing eligibility criteria under the scheme.
• Students are required to submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective educational institutions during the application process.
• The NOC must confirm that participation in the internship will not interfere with academic requirements.
• Authorised signatories include Heads of Department, Deans, Principals, or Training & Placement Officers.

Interested students can register and explore internship opportunities aligned with their academic background and career aspirations through the dedicated portal. Paid internships are offered by leading companies through this portal to provide hands-on industry exposure. Under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme, interns will receive a minimum financial assistance of ₹9,000 per month.

This expansion is expected to benefit a larger pool of young talent by bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world professional requirements. The PMIS pilot, under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, seeks to create meaningful industry-academia linkages and prepare students for future employment.

India’s National Education Policy (NEP) places significant emphasis on experiential learning, including internships, industry engagement, and hands‑on exposure, as a core component of higher education. By enabling students to participate in structured, paid internships while they are still enrolled, PMIS advances this objective by embedding real‑world learning into the academic journey. It supports the NEP’s goal of enhancing student employability and skill development, ensuring smoother transitions from education to work.

Early exposure to professional environments helps students develop critical workplace competencies such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and adaptability, which are essential for success in today’s dynamic economy. By enabling students to participate in internships while still enrolled, PMIS aims to reduce the gap between academic learning and industry expectations, enhance job-readiness at the point of graduation, and provide real-world exposure to business environments, corporate processes, and professional culture.

More than 300 companies have participated in the pilot phase of PMIS to offer internship opportunities across roles and sectors. Currently, the third round of the pilot phase is underway, wherein companies are posting internship opportunities on an ongoing basis.