Jammu, April 16: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Wednesday reviewed the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, outlining a focused strategy to expand its reach and improve outcomes for the youth across the Union Territory.

The meeting was attended by senior officials including Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department; Secretary, Employment and Skill Development Departments; Managing Director, Skill Development Mission; and other concerned officers. The Director of PMIS from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs joined virtually.
Highlighting the importance of the scheme, the Chief Secretary noted that PMIS—introduced in the Union Budget 2024–25—aims to enhance youth employability by offering structured internships in reputed companies. The programme provides a monthly stipend of ₹9,000 along with a one-time grant of ₹6,000, enabling participants to gain valuable industry exposure.
Reviewing the current status, officials informed that over 4,400 youth in J&K have registered on the portal, with more than 2,800 profiles completed. However, only 68 internship opportunities are presently available, despite the Union Territory being among the top performers in registrations.
Expressing concern over this gap, Dulloo emphasized the urgent need to increase industry participation. He called for stronger engagement with corporate stakeholders, with active support from the central ministry, to ensure that registered candidates are effectively absorbed under the scheme.
Setting an ambitious target, he directed departments to scale up registrations to at least 2 lakh across all districts through a mission-mode approach. This, he said, should involve educational institutions, employment centres, and grassroots outreach mechanisms.
Given the limited presence of large corporate houses in the region, the Chief Secretary stressed expanding internship opportunities beyond the UT and urged efforts to raise the number of available positions to at least 1,000 in the near future.
He further instructed that PMIS registrations be integrated with institutional frameworks such as ITIs, polytechnics, and colleges, while also leveraging District Employment & Counselling Centres, Common Service Centres, and placement cells.
Secretary Skill Development Department Kumar Rajeev Ranjan presented a 100-day roadmap targeting 20,000 registrations in the initial phase through campus drives, help desks, awareness campaigns, and mobile registration units in remote areas.
A key component of the strategy is convergence with Mission YUVA, which has already identified over 4.73 lakh “willing to work” youth. Around 2,000 YUVA Doots will be mobilized for door-to-door outreach and registration drives across districts.
Stressing accountability, Dulloo directed regular reviews and real-time monitoring through digital platforms, ensuring timely resolution of bottlenecks. He reiterated that PMIS has the potential to bridge the gap between education and employment and prepare J&K’s youth for the evolving demands of the modern job market.