2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 20, 2026 05:41 PM IST
Chartered accountant firms may soon be allowed to participate in the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS), with the government considering changes to the current framework. The move is expected to widen the scope of the scheme beyond large corporates and bring professional services firms into the fold.
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At present, only the top 500 companies with the highest corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending can take part in PMIS. Under the scheme, interns receive Rs 5,000 per month for 12 months. Of this, the government pays Rs 4,500, and Rs 500 comes from the company’s CSR funds. In addition, interns get a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 through direct benefit transfer and insurance coverage under government-backed schemes.
However, chartered accountant (CA) firms do not have CSR funds. According to ICAI President Prasanna Kumar D, discussions are underway with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to modify the scheme so that CA firms can participate without the CSR condition. He indicated that professional firms are willing to support internships but need regulatory flexibility to do so.
If approved, the change could open up internship opportunities across over one lakh registered CA firms, many of them located in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. ICAI is expected to frame eligibility criteria for firms and decide how many interns each firm can engage.
As announced in the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the government plans to support professional bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in developing short-term programmes to strengthen MSME compliance support.
ICAI has also examined the CSR treatment of trainee absorption. It has suggested that vocational training expenses should qualify as CSR spending, while costs incurred after employment should be treated as regular business expenditure. The Institute is coordinating with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and corporates to facilitate placements for interns completing the programme.
The changes to PMIS, if notified, are expected to deepen outreach, particularly in smaller towns where CA firms already serve as compliance and advisory anchors for micro and small enterprises.
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