Posted On:
04 OCT 2024 12:55PM by PIB Thiruvananthpuram
2. To roll-out this ambitious Scheme, a Pilot Project of the Scheme, targeted at providing 1.25 lakh internship opportunities during FY 2024-25, has been launched on 3rd October 2024. This will be implemented through an online portal developed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), accessible at www.pminternship.mca.gov.in. This Portal will act as a centralized platform for managing the entire internship lifecycle. The Portal is now opened for Partner Companies to offer internship opportunities and will be opened for registration of the candidates in the second week of October 2024.
3. Partner Companies
3.1 The top companies for this Pilot Project have been identified on the basis of the average of CSR expenditure of the last three years. Participation of the companies in this Scheme is voluntary. Apart from these, any other company/ bank/ financial institution desirous of participating in the Scheme, may do so with the approval of the MCA, which would take a view considering sectors and areas under represented by the above mentioned 500 companies.
3.2 In case the Partner Company cannot provide such internships in its own company, it may tie-up with entities in its forward and backward value chain (e.g. suppliers/ customers/ vendors), or with other companies/institutions in its group; or otherwise. Further, while the internship may be undertaken in associated entities, such as sister companies, suppliers, or vendors of major corporations, however, the internship programme shall be under the supervision of the Partner Companies, ensuring quality learning experience.
4. Internship Duration: Duration of the internship shall be 12 months. At least half of the internship period must be spent in the actual working experience/ job environment, and not in the classroom.
5. Eligibility criteria for candidates
5.1 Age: Youth aged between 21 and 24 (as on the last date for submission of application), belonging to Indian nationality, who are not employed full-time and not engaged in full-time education. Candidates enrolled in online/ distance learning programmes are eligible to apply.
5.2 Educational Qualifications: Candidates who have passed High School, Higher Secondary School, possess a certificate from an ITI, hold a diploma from a Polytechnic Institute, or are graduates with degrees such as BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BCA, BBA, B.Pharma, etc. are eligible.
5.3 The following candidates are ineligible to apply:
(i) Graduates from IITs, IIMs, National Law Universities, IISER, NIDs, and IIITs.
(ii) Those having qualifications such as CA, CMA, CS, MBBS, BDS, MBA, any master’s or higher degree.
(iii) Those undergoing any skill, apprenticeship, internship or student training programme under Central Government or State Government schemes.
(iv) Those who have completed apprenticeship, training under National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) or National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) at any point.
(v) If the income of any of the family members of the candidate exceeds Rs 8 lakh for FY 2023-24.
(vi) If any member of the family is a permanent/regular government employee.
Note: For the purposes of the Pilot Project:
(i) “Family” means self, parents and spouse.
(ii) “Government” means Central and State Governments, UT administration, Central and State PSUs, statutory organizations, local bodies, etc.
(iii) “Employee” means regular/ permanent employees but does not include contractual employees.
6. Benefits of the Scheme:
6.1 Industry Exposure: The Scheme is designed to provide an opportunity to the interns to experience real-world business environments, thereby equipping them with practical experience that enhances their employability. A certificate of internship will also be given by the Partner Companies to the interns upon completion of the internship, giving interns an advantageous association with reputable companies on their resume, which can be a significant boost to their career prospects.
6.2 Financial Assistance: The interns will be provided with financial assistance of Rs. 5,000 per month, of which Rs. 4500 will be disbursed by the government, and Rs. 500 per month will be paid by the company from its CSR funds. Additionally, a one-time grant of Rs. 6,000 for incidentals will be disbursed by MCA to each intern, upon joining the place of internship. Expenditures associated with the training of interns under the Scheme, would be borne by the company from its CSR funds, as per the extant rules. In case, any Company wishes to provide monthly assistance over and above Rs.500, it may do so from its own funds.
6.3 Insurance coverage: Insurance coverage shall be provided to each individual intern under insurance schemes of the Government of India, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, for which premium amount shall be provided by Government. In addition, the company may also provide additional accidental insurance coverage to the interns.
7. Implementation of the Scheme: Partner Companies will have a dedicated dashboard on the Portal where they can post internship opportunities, detailing location, nature, required qualifications, and any facilities provided. Eligible candidates may register on the Portal, where their details will be used to generate a resume. Candidates can browse internships based on their preferred sectors, roles, and locations, and apply for up to five opportunities.
8. Facilitation and assistance: The scheme envisages a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism which will ensure timely resolution of issues and enhance user satisfaction. Additionally, a multilingual tele helpline, reachable at 1800-116-090, has been set up to provide assistance and facilitation to the stakeholders, ensuring accessible support for users in different languages.