In a significant policy change aimed at expanding professional training opportunities for young graduates, the Central Government has amended the Pradhan Mantri Internship Scheme (PMIS) to allow Chartered Accountant (CA) firms to participate as internship providers. The move is expected to benefit thousands of CA firms across the country and create a large pool of practical training opportunities in the fields of taxation, auditing, accounting, and compliance.

Major Relief for CA Firms

Until now, participation in the PM Internship Scheme was effectively restricted to companies with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending or entities meeting specific corporate eligibility criteria. As a result, a large number of CA firms—most of which operate as partnership firms or sole proprietorship concerns—were unable to engage interns under the scheme.

With the latest amendment, CA firms can now become part of the internship ecosystem despite not having CSR budgets, thereby opening the door for professional service firms to contribute to skill development and employment generation.

Thousands of Internship Opportunities Expected

Industry experts believe the change could significantly increase internship opportunities for students and fresh graduates. Chartered accountancy firms are involved in a wide range of professional services, including:

• Tax audits
• GST compliance and advisory
• Income-tax return preparation and filing
• Statutory audits
• Accounting and bookkeeping
• Corporate compliance
• Financial reporting and consultancy

Interns placed with CA firms will gain practical exposure to real-world professional assignments, helping bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements.

Stipend Structure Under the Scheme

One of the key attractions of the PM Internship Scheme is the financial support provided to interns.

Under the revised framework, eligible interns will receive a monthly stipend of ₹9,000. The stipend will be shared between the Government and the participating CA firm as follows:

The Government’s contribution will be directly transferred to interns through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)mechanism, ensuring timely and transparent payments.

Boost to Professional Skill Development

The inclusion of CA firms is expected to strengthen the professional training landscape by providing interns with hands-on experience in taxation, audit, finance, and regulatory compliance. Such exposure is often difficult to obtain through classroom education alone.

Professionals in the accounting and finance sector have welcomed the move, stating that it will help students develop practical skills while also enabling firms to engage and train young talent in a structured manner.

Benefits for Students and Firms

The revised scheme offers a win-win situation for both interns and professional firms:

For Students

• Exposure to real-life client assignments.
• Practical understanding of GST, income tax, and auditing.
• Improved employability and professional skills.
• Financial support through a government-backed stipend.

For CA Firms

• Access to trained and motivated interns.
• Opportunity to contribute to national skill development.
• Additional workforce support for professional assignments.
• Ability to identify and nurture future talent.

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