SHILLONG, July 11: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began her four-day visit to Meghalaya on Wednesday by highlighting youth empowerment and urban development as key priorities. During her engagements in Shillong, the Minister chaired the North East Roundtable under the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS), where she interacted with interns from across the region, industry leaders, and senior government officials.
The PM Internship Scheme is a flagship initiative of the Government of India designed to bridge the education-employability gap by providing young people with hands-on experience in both corporate and public sector environments. Launched as part of the Union Budget 2024–25, the scheme aims to facilitate one crore internships in the Top 500 companies over five years. Its pilot phase, initiated in October 2024, targeted 1.25 lakh internships for young job seekers.
Addressing the gathering, Sitharaman stated, “This programme is meant to help those who’ve never had a formal job or exposure, enabling them to become workplace-ready and entrepreneurial. I urge interns to become brand ambassadors for PMIS.” She emphasized that several industry stakeholders have expressed concerns over the lack of employable skills among today’s youth. The PM Internship Scheme, she asserted, would provide essential workplace exposure and practical knowledge, enhancing the employability of young professionals across multiple sectors.
“While India is going through a demographic dividend, industries are not finding youth with the skill sets they require,” Sitharaman said. She encouraged the youth from the Northeast to make the most of the scheme to build professional networks, explore career paths, and gain vital real-world experience. The Finance Minister reiterated that the scheme will act as a bridge between academic learning and industry requirements, significantly increasing employment opportunities.
The roundtable was attended by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma as Guest of Honour, alongside Health Minister Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh, Chief Secretary D.P. Wahlang, and Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Deepti Gaur Mukerjee. State government representatives and company delegates also participated in the interactive session.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma also addressed the gathering, noting that India’s greatest challenge and opportunity lies in its youth. “Leaders, officials and industrialists need to nurture and give them the opportunity so that they will productively help in nation building and contribute towards the growth and future of the nation,” he said.
“Though the first phase of the PM Internship Scheme was a pilot phase, I am sure that with the learnings and the experiences in the past months, and with the engagements of the state governments, the next rollout of this scheme will be a huge success, and Meghalaya will be happy to take this scheme forward,” Sangma added.
He also noted Meghalaya’s vast potential in entrepreneurship, food processing, IT, tourism, sports, and music. He proposed linking the PM Internship Scheme with existing state programmes to ensure value addition, skilling, and economic development. According to him, such integration would benefit the government, the state, and the interns, who would either secure employment or become successful entrepreneurs.
Finance Minister Sitharaman is expected to continue her engagements over the next three days, during which she will review the implementation of central schemes and hold interactions with various stakeholder groups across Meghalaya.
