SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has set a target of 2 lakh registrations under the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS), with directions issued to significantly expand both enrolment and internship opportunities to bridge the gap between demand and availability.
The direction was issued as Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo reviewed the implementation of PMIS and outlined measures to enhance its outreach and effectiveness across the Union Territory.
Officials informed the meeting that over 4,400 youth have registered on the PMIS portal so far, with more than 2,800 completing their profiles. However, only 68 internship opportunities are currently available in Jammu and Kashmir, despite strong registration numbers.
Dulloo emphasised the need to scale up industry participation and called for proactive engagement with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to increase internship opportunities to at least 1,000 in the coming days.
He also directed that registration efforts be expanded in a mission mode through educational institutions, ITIs, polytechnics, employment centres, Common Service Centres and placement cells to ensure wider coverage across districts.
The scheme, launched under the Union Budget 2024–25, provides internships of 6 to 9 months with a monthly stipend of Rs 9,000 and a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 to improve employability through structured industry exposure.
A 100-day roadmap was also presented, targeting 20,000 registrations in the initial phase through campus drives, awareness campaigns, help desks and mobile registration units in remote areas.
The strategy will also leverage Mission YUVA, which has identified over 4.73 lakh youth willing to work, with around 2,000 YUVA Doots to be deployed for door-to-door mobilisation and registration drives across the Union Territory.
The Chief Secretary directed regular monitoring of progress through digital platforms and asked departments to promptly resolve bottlenecks to ensure timely achievement of targets.
He said the scheme has the potential to strengthen youth employability and bridge the gap between education and employment in Jammu and Kashmir.
