# Fix the internship: Why PM internship scheme needs structural reforms

> PMIS must prioritize completed courses and jobs over headline opportunity numbers to fix internship scheme.
- Title: Fix the internship: Why PM internship scheme needs structural…
- Summary: PMIS must prioritize completed courses and jobs over headline opportunity numbers to fix internship scheme. The Prime Minister's Internship Scheme needs…
- Keywords: pmis, prime minister, internship scheme, structural reforms, employment, youth employment, government policy, internship completion, business, money, news, Fix
- Source: Financialexpress — https://financialexpress.com/opinion/fix-the-internship/4353457
- Author: The Financial Express
- Published: 2026-10-04T15:42:24+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pmis, prime minister, internship scheme, structural reforms, employment, youth employment, government policy, internship completion, business, money, news
## PMIS at Two Years
The Prime Minister Internship Scheme approaches its second anniversary with high dropout rates and low uptake.
## First Two Rounds Disappointing
Round 1 saw 60,866 offers produce only 8,760 joiners, with 4,698 dropping out.
## Round 3 Shows Improvement
Round 3 generated 14,620 joiners against 25,794 offers, though completion rates are unknown.
## Low Conversion Rates
Only 39% of opportunities translated into offers, and just 20% of those offers led to actual internships.
## Government Responses
The government raised financial assistance to `9,000, widened the age band to 18-25, and included final-year students.
## Why Internships Fail
Relocation costs, low pay, and mismatched work skills lead candidates to drop out after joining.
## Fiscal Underperformance
Actual spending on PMIS was 1.5% of FY25 estimate and 0.9% of FY26 estimate, far below targets.
## Key takeaway

The Prime Minister's Internship Scheme needs structural reforms to ensure internships lead to employment, not just high numbers of opportunities.