Govt may widen eligible age for PM internship scheme

According to early talks, the age criterion is likely to be widened from 21-24 currently, to 18-25

- Gireesh Chandra Prasad

The government is looking into tweaking the age criterion for the PM Internship Scheme to open it to a larger number of youth, according to two people familiar with the development. The scheme is currently meant for those in the 21-24 age group.

The idea, which is at an early stage, is to widen the age qualification to 18-25 years so that candidates get a larger window to apply for the scheme and improve their chances of getting an internship, one person said.

Other criteria of the scheme, which are aimed at the socio-economically disadvantaged section of society, will remain untouched because the focus is on those who are not otherwise likely to get internship opportunities at the top companies in the country. As per the existing criteria, the scheme is not open to those from families with income above ₹8 lakh in FY24 and from families with any member having permanent government employment.