- Why in news
- On 22 April 2026 the Ministry of Corporate Affairs widened the pilot phase of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme to cover final-year graduate and postgraduate students aged 18-25, in consultation with the Department of Higher Education.
- What it is
- The Prime Minister Internship Scheme is a Government of India scheme run by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It offers structured, paid internships in top companies to young people. It is currently in a pilot phase.
- Nodal ministry
- The Ministry of Corporate Affairs runs the scheme and its portal, in consultation with the Department of Higher Education for this change.
- New eligibility
- Final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students can now apply, besides meeting existing criteria.
- NOC condition
- Students must submit a No Objection Certificate from their institution, confirming the internship will not interfere with academics.
- Who can sign the NOC
- Heads of Department, Deans, Principals or Training & Placement Officers.
- Assistance
- Interns get minimum financial assistance of ₹9,000 per month.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Links classroom learning to workplace experience, in line with the NEP's stress on experiential learning.
- Can improve job-readiness and ease the move from education to work.
Problems
- Internships are short and may not turn into jobs.
- Quality and spread of placements across regions and sectors depend on company participation.
Way forward
- Track conversion of internships into jobs and publish outcome data.
- Widen company and sector participation, with monitoring of internship quality.
Put in your answer
NEP link: Example of NEP's emphasis on experiential learning and internships in higher education.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Scheme (52 of 327 Prelims questions) with a changed eligibility. Details are thin for statements, so a card only.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.