The PM Internship Scheme's pilot project made 1.65 lakh internship offers but only 20% were accepted by young applicants, data presented to Parliament shows. The scheme aims to provide internships to one crore youth in five years at top Indian companies. Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra told the Lok Sabha that companies posted over 1.27 lakh vacancies in the first round and received 6.21 lakh applications. Despite 82,000 offers, only 8,700 (10.6%) were accepted. More than half of these interns left before completing their term. In the second round starting January 2025, companies posted 1.18 lakh internships with 4.55 lakh applicants. Of 83,000 offers, 24,600 (30%) were accepted. About 2,053 (8.3%) dropped out early. Overall, 33,300 offers have been accepted out of 1.65 lakh, but nearly 20% of those accepted quit early. The Ministry found reasons for low acceptance were location—ideally within 5 to 10 km—long 12-month duration, and unsuitable roles. Initially budgeted at ₹840 crore, the pilot’s budget was cut to ₹380 crore for 2024-25, with ₹73.72 crore spent so far. The scheme aims to boost youth employment but faces challenges in attracting and retaining interns.