Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, along with Minister of State Shri Harsh Malhotra, launched the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) mobile app on March 17, 2025, at Samanvay Hall No. 5, Parliament, New Delhi. The app simplifies access to internship opportunities through Aadhaar-based registration, personalised dashboards, real-time alerts, and a dedicated support team. Smt. Sitharaman highlighted the Prime Minister’s vision behind introducing five employment and skilling initiatives, emphasising that the PMIS would help bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements. She encouraged industry participation, underscoring its role in nation-building and workforce development. Shri Harsh Malhotra noted that the app would significantly improve accessibility to internship opportunities. The PMIS app also integrates a referral program by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, allowing registered users to refer others and earn rewards. The scheme, announced in the Union Budget 2024-25, aims to provide internships to one crore youth in the top 500 companies over five years. As part of the pilot phase, 125,000 internships were launched on October 3, 2024, for FY 2024-25. The scheme offers 12-month paid internships, financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month, and a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 to eligible candidates aged 21-24 who are not in full-time education or employment. In the first round of the pilot project (October–December 2024), over 127,000 internship opportunities were posted by 280 companies across 745 districts, resulting in more than 82,000 offers. The second round, launched in January 2025, has seen 327 companies posting over 118,000 opportunities, covering diverse qualifications and sectors such as Automobile, Banking & Finance, Travel & Hospitality, and technical roles for ITI graduates. To enhance outreach, the PMIS dashboard has been improved, and over 80 awareness events have been conducted in colleges and Rozgar Melas. A framework has also been introduced to assess and reward states and UTs for effective scheme implementation. The internship application window for Round II remains open until March 31, 2025. (PIB)