New data presented in Parliament has revealed a significant participation-to-completion gap in the pilot phase of the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS). While the initiative generated substantial interest from both companies and candidates, the number of young professionals who have successfully finished their internships remains strikingly low.
Round I Data: A Story of High Hopes and Attrition
According to details shared by Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the first round of the PMIS pilot saw partner companies post an impressive over 1.27 lakh internship opportunities. This resulted in a flood of applications, with companies receiving more than 6.21 lakh applications from approximately 1.81 lakh candidates.
The conversion from application to offer was notable. Companies extended 82,077 offers to more than 60,000 candidates. Of these, 28,141 offers were accepted by aspiring interns, marking the beginning of their engagement with the scheme.
However, the completion figures tell a different story. As of November 30, 2025, only 2,066 candidates have completed their internships. The internships under this pilot project are designed for a duration of 12 months, with completion timelines for the first round stretching from November 2025 to March 2026, depending on individual joining dates.
State-Wise Performance: Assam Emerges as a Surprise Leader
The government's data provides a granular look at how different states performed in Round I. While larger states posted more opportunities, completion rates varied widely.
States with the highest number of internship offers in Round 1 were:
- Uttar Pradesh: 11,563 offers made, 4,656 accepted.
- Madhya Pradesh: 6,244 offers made, 2,058 accepted.
- Andhra Pradesh: 6,164 offers made, 1,970 accepted.
- Bihar: 5,668 offers made, 2,418 accepted.
- Gujarat: 4,541 offers made, 1,019 accepted.
When it comes to successfully finishing the programme, smaller states and union territories outperformed their larger counterparts. Assam recorded the highest completion rate among all states, accounting for more than one-fourth of its accepted candidates completing internships by the end of November 2025.
Top states by internship completion rate (as of Nov 30, 2025):
- Assam: 544 completions from 1,780 accepted offers (30.6% rate).
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 2 completions from 7 offers (28.6%).
- Arunachal Pradesh: 3 completions from 14 offers (21.4%).
- Himachal Pradesh: 26 completions from 177 offers (14.7%).
- Goa: 1 completion from 7 offers (14.3%).
Round II Gains Momentum; Scheme is Not a Placement Guarantee
The Ministry of Finance noted that Round II of the PM Internship Scheme has also seen strong participation. In this phase, over 1.18 lakh internship opportunities have been posted by partner companies, and more than 24,600 offers have been accepted by candidates so far.
The government has clarified a crucial point about the scheme's objective. It emphasised that the PM Internship Scheme is not a placement programme. Its primary goal is to provide hands-on work experience. However, companies may choose to offer regular jobs to interns based on their performance and internal hiring requirements.
To ensure effective tracking and transparency, a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework and a dedicated dashboard have been put in place. These tools monitor key performance indicators such as application numbers, selection processes, grievance redressal, and final outcomes for the candidates.
The data underscores the challenges in translating opportunity into sustained engagement within large-scale skilling initiatives, even as the government pushes for greater corporate-academia linkage to boost employability.
