India has extended the PM internship scheme registration till 31 March, which is amidst the muted response – CNBC TV18

According to sources in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), the government has extended the registration deadline for the Pradhan Mantri Internship Scheme (PMIS) to 31 March.

Despite a large number of internship opportunities, this decision comes amid lukewarm response from applicants.

In the final stage,

Companies increased 80,000 internship offers. Although only 30,000 candidates accepted, and attended only 8,700, sources informed the CNBC-TV18.

This means only 10.8% of the total offers were taken. The moving cost emerged as an important reason for rejecting.

To address this, companies are now providing free food and travel benefits to attract more intern.

The latest phase has so far recorded 70,000 applications. The government has increased internship opportunities by 1.18 lakhs, but previous trends suggest that real participation may decrease.

Officials have launched the state level campaigns to promote the engagement.

To improve participation, the government may launch a dedicated internship portal app this week. The app and website will showcase additional benefits, such as monetary incentives provided by food, travel and companies.

About PM internship scheme

The aim of PMI is to provide internships in the top 500 enterprises in India. It targets individuals between the ages of 21 and 24 who are not enrolled in full -time education or formal employment.

Each intern receives 5,000 monthly stipend and a one -time transfer allowance of ₹ 6,000.

The internship lasts for at least six months and combines training with experience on hand to build employable skills.