Overview
- India’s corporate affairs ministry, in a Wednesday order, opened the scheme to final‑year undergraduates and postgraduates and widened the age band to 18–25.
- Interns in the ongoing pilot round receive ₹9,000 a month, with companies paying 10% and the government transferring the rest via Direct Benefit Transfer to Aadhaar-linked accounts, plus an additional ₹6,000 in assistance.
- Official documents conflict on internship length, with a government order setting 12 months while a guidelines PDF cites six to nine months, leaving duration unclear for applicants and hosts.
- Earlier pilot rounds drew large interest but weak uptake, with about 28,000 offers accepted in Round I and 24,600 in Round II, and thousands quitting, as location constraints and longer tenures deterred candidates.
- The third pilot round continues with more than 300 companies posting roles, and final‑year applicants must upload a no‑objection letter from their institution confirming the internship will not disrupt studies.