32,000 interns of NIP yet to get 3-month

stipend
Fawad Yousafzai
September 21, 2018

ISLAMABAD - Around 32,000 interns of the National Internship Programme have failed
to get their last three-month stipend despite the closure of the programme.

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The last batch of 32,000 interns has not received stipend for the last three months
(April, May and June), official sources told The Nation.

The tenure of the last batch was expired on June 30, 2018 but the dues of around
Rs1.05 billion are yet to be cleared, sources added. Some of the interns have received
their April stipend but no one has yet received May and June stipends due to problems
in fund release, the sources added.

Soon after taking over power, the PTI government has closed down all the special
programmes of the previous PML-N administration except BISP.

Earlier, in August this year, secretary Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) has extended
the NIP for another three months despite the fact that no intern was getting benefit of
the project.

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“The project was due to expire in October but was extended for another three months till
January 2019 by the secretary,” the sources said. Secretary IPC is entitled to give two
extensions to the project and this is the first extension, they added. However later the
three months extension was withdrawn and now the government has announced to
close down the NIP.
The programme has failed to achieve its target of providing internship to 150,000 fresh
graduates and was able to provide the opportunity only to 82,000 interns, they added.
The last batch has completed its internship on June 30, 2018 and since no fresh
internship was offered therefore currently no intern working under the project.

“The National Internship Programme was part of the PM Youth initiative which is
designed to provide basis for youth training and development as well as experimental
learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical
application and skills development in a professional setting. Youth training give student
the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in
professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers, both in
the public as well as private sector, the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent,” they
said. So far 82,000 interns were hired in the programme and they were getting Rs15000
stipend per month.

Training the educated youth of Pakistan through internship in private and public sector
offices the PML(N) government had launched a national internship programme.
Primarily, the allocation of interns will be made in accordance with the NFC award and
FPSC’s recruitment criteria for provincial/regional quotas for all three years. The
selection of interns will be as per their domicile but can be placed in originations outside
of their domicile region based on the demand profile and matching of applicant profile.

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The sources said that of the total allocation of Rs26 billion for three years the NIP has
utilized only around Rs 10 billion.

Back in April, the ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination has pointed out serious
irregularities in the multi billion rupees National Internship Programme (NIP) including
the induction of double jobbers, lack of attendance of the internees, harassment of the
females internees and has recommended asked for the third party assessment.