Manickam Tagore slams PM Internship Scheme, says youth need ‘genuine’ skill development
He accused the BJP of copying the Congress’s ‘Pehli Naukri Pakki’ poll promise without understanding its objectives
Manickam Tagore, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president and Virudhunagar MP, harshly criticized the Union government's Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) on Thursday, stating that the youth require genuine skill development and employment opportunities. Tagore accused the BJP of copying the Congress's 'Pehli Naukri Pakki' election promise without grasping its true purpose.
According to official data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, applications for the program had decreased from 6.21 lakh in the first round to 3.50 lakh in the third round. Only a fraction of candidates, around 6.9% in the first round and 9.5% in the third, actually joined the internship programs. Furthermore, completion rates were low, with only 42.6% of participants from the first round and 39.4% from the second finishing their training.
Tagore alleged that the government had weakened the scheme by shortening the internship duration from 12 months to 6-9 months, lowering the age requirements, and raising the stipend to ₹9,000, without tackling the core issues. He emphasized that the youth need meaningful skill development and dignified employment, not empty promises and publicity stunts.
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