News Tamil Nadu

#StickerStalin Trends As DMK Govt Pastes Its Sticker Over PM Internship Scheme

November 9, 2024
The Commune

The DMK has a long-standing reputation for taking credit for initiatives led by other political parties. For example, the DMK government attempted to claim credit for the internship scheme introduced by the Narendra Modi-led BJP Central Government.

The Tamil Nadu Department of Information and Public Relations shared a post on its official platform promoting the PM Internship Scheme, but with a twist— the poster featured a large image of DMK chief and Chief Minister MK Stalin, along with a Tamil Nadu government logo, giving the impression that the state government was behind the initiative. This post has now been deleted.

The Naan Mudhalvan page, which is the DMK’s propaganda account, shares a video of a girl speaking about the scheme, in which the word PM has been muted.

The poster, aimed at job-seeking youth, read: “Are you a recent graduate looking for what to do next? Here’s an opportunity to join the 12-month PM Internship Scheme, offered by leading companies to 1 crore youth aged 21-24.”

However, given that it is a central government scheme, there were no pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the Government of India symbol.

This is has led to the BJP slamming the DMK Government with the hashtag “#StickerStalin” for attempting to steal credit away from the Modi Government.

About PM Internship Scheme

The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, launched on October 3, 2024, is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at offering internship opportunities to one crore young individuals over the next five years. The program, facilitated through an online platform, allows participants to gain experience in various industries and explore different career paths.

The pilot phase of the scheme features a 12-month internship program for Indian youth aged 21 to 24 years who are not engaged in full-time employment or education. Candidates enrolled in online or distance learning courses are also eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted through the PM Internship Portal starting from October 12, 2024, with the goal of providing 1.25 lakh internships for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Eligible candidates include those who have completed high school, higher secondary school, or hold qualifications such as ITI certificates, polytechnic diplomas, or undergraduate degrees in fields like BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BCA, BBA, B.Pharma, etc.

The Ministry has selected 500 companies based on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions over the past three years to participate in the program. Other organizations, including banks and financial institutions, may also join with approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), especially those representing underrepresented sectors. Companies can create profiles on the official portal by following the provided guidelines.

Interns will receive a monthly stipend of ₹5,000, with ₹500 provided by the partner companies based on attendance and behavior, while the government will transfer ₹4,500 via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the intern’s Aadhaar-linked bank account. Additionally, interns will be eligible for a one-time grant of ₹6,000 upon starting the internship, also paid through DBT.

Other Instances Of DMK Government Pasting Its Stickers

This is not the first instance of the DMK government pasting its sticker on the Central Government’s scheme.

The much-appreciated Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme introduced in government schools is a result of the National Education Policy 2020, that proposes a breakfast program for school children in addition to the midday meal.

The PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra (pharmacies) which provides generic medicines at low prices has been refashioned by the DMK government as Mudhalvar Marunthagam (Chief Minister’s pharmacy).

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