**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 424 in the Lok Sabha, concerning the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS). The response, dated February 2, 2026, addresses the participation rates, acceptance of offers, reasons for low acceptance, early departures, and potential revamping of the PMIS based on the pilot project results. A full-scale roll-out of the PM Internship Scheme will be based on stakeholder feedback.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **PMIS Participation Assessment:**
* The government has assessed the level of participation and acceptance of offers under the PMIS.
* **Round I PMIS Pilot Project:**
* Over 6.21 lakh applications were received from about 1.81 lakh candidates.
* Partner companies made over 82,000 internship offers to over 60,000 candidates.
* Over 28,000 offers were accepted.
* **Round II PMIS Pilot Project:**
* Over 4.55 lakh applications were received from over 2.14 lakh applicants.
* Partner companies made over 83,000 offers to over 71,000 candidates.
* Over 24,600 offers were accepted.
* **Reasons for Low Acceptance of Internship Offers:**
* Location is an important factor, with candidates preferring a travel distance of 5-10 km.
* The internship period of 12 months is considered long.
* Some candidates are not interested in roles offered.
* **Interns Leaving the Program:**
* As of 27.01.2026, 7094 candidates have left the internship without completing it in both rounds of the PMIS Pilot Project.
* **PMIS Revamping:**
* The PMIS Pilot Project is used for testing concepts, strategies, and systems.
* Full-scale roll-out of the PM Internship Scheme depends on the feedback received from the stakeholder consultations and evaluation of outcomes.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders:** Candidates
**Impact:** Candidates applying for internships may find limited options due to location preferences and internship duration.
**Action Required:** Candidates should carefully consider the location, duration, and role before accepting internship offers.
**Stakeholders:** Partner Companies
**Impact:** Companies may need to adjust internship locations or offer shorter internship periods to increase acceptance rates.
**Action Required:** Companies need to provide feedback to the government for PMIS revamping and offer internships that align with candidates' preferences.
**Stakeholders:** Government (Ministry of Corporate Affairs)
**Impact:** The Ministry needs to use stakeholder feedback and pilot project results to revamp the PMIS.
**Action Required:** Revamp the PM Internship Scheme to improve participation and retention, and to improve the matching of candidates to relevant roles. Conduct consultations and evaluate outcomes during the Pilot Project.
Key Entities Referenced
Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS): A government internship program focused on improving participation and retention through a pilot project.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs: The ministry responsible for overseeing the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS).
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 424
ANSWERED ON MONDAY THE 2ND FEBRUARY, 2026
MAGHA 13, 1947 (SAKA)
PARTICIPATION IN PMIS
QUESTION
424 Smt. Sajda Ahmed:
Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the level of participation and acceptance
of offers under the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has examined the reasons for such low acceptance of
internship offers;
(d) if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Government is aware that interns have left the programme before
completion;
(f) if so, the details thereof; and
(g) whether the Government proposes to revamp the PM Internship Scheme to
improve participation and retention and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MINISTRY OF
ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
[SHRI HARSH MALHOTRA]
(a) & (b): Yes, the Government has assessed level of participation and acceptance of
offers under the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS). In the Round I of the PM
Internship Scheme Pilot Project, more than 6.21 lakh applications were received
from about 1.81 lakh candidates. Partner companies made over 82,000 internship
offers to over 60,000 candidates and over 28,000 offers were accepted.In the Round II of the PM Internship Scheme Pilot Project, over 4.55 lakh applications
were received from over 2.14 lakh applicants, in this round. Partner companies made
over 83,000 offers to over 71,000 candidates and over 24,600 offers were accepted.
(c) & (d): On the basis of concurrent evaluation, feedback survey outbound calls
made by the call center to the candidates and feedback received from various
stakeholders, such as candidates, industry & industry associations and state
governments, some of the main reasons for low acceptance of internship offers are
given below:
• Location is an important consideration and ideal travel distance indicated by
candidates is between 5-10 km.
• Internship period of 12 months is longer than that in normal skilling programs.
• Some candidates are not interested in roles offered.
(e) & (f): As on 27.01.2026, 7094 candidates have left the internship without
completing in both the rounds of the PMIS Pilot Project.
(g): Pilot Project is a pivotal phase that has allowed for testing concepts, strategies
and systems before a full-scale implementation. The full-scale roll-out of the PM
Internship Scheme would be based on the feedback received from the stakeholder
consultations and evaluation of outcomes during the implementation of the Pilot
Project.
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