Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Internship Scheme

What is the FSSAI Internship Scheme?

The FSSAI Internship Scheme is a short-term internship programme run by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that regulates food safety in India. According to the FSSAI Internship Policy, the programme gives currently enrolled students an opportunity to work with FSSAI's headquarters, regional offices and laboratories, gain exposure to food-safety regulation, and contribute to ongoing work.

The internship is designed as a learning opportunity, not a job. Interns are attached to a specific office or division and work under a reporting officer. The scheme is open across disciplines; food technology and science are the most directly relevant, but students of law, commerce, information technology and journalism can also apply, reflecting the range of FSSAI's regulatory, legal and communications work.

How much stipend and how long?

According to the FSSAI Internship Policy, the key terms are:

• Duration: a minimum of two months, extendable up to a maximum of six months. No internship shorter than two months is offered.
• Stipend: Rs 10,000 for the entire internship period, not a monthly amount, payable to deserving interns.

The stipend is not automatic. According to the policy, it is given to deserving interns on the recommendation of the office or division they are attached with, and the criteria for "deserving" are decided on the basis of (a) attendance and (b) assessment by the reporting officer. The stipend is generally released after the internship is completed and the required report or presentation has been submitted and evaluated.

Interns who complete the internship satisfactorily receive a certificate from FSSAI.

Where are interns placed and what do they do?

Interns are attached to a specific office or division of FSSAI. This can be the FSSAI headquarters, one of its regional offices, or its laboratories, depending on the requirement and the intern's background. Each intern works under a designated reporting officer who supervises the work and later assesses the intern for the stipend and certificate. Because the placement is division-based, the nature of the work varies: a food-science student may support laboratory or standards work, while a law or commerce student may assist regulatory, legal or administrative divisions. Interns are expected to maintain regular attendance and to follow FSSAI's conduct and confidentiality norms during the engagement, and to submit a report or presentation at the end that forms the basis of their evaluation.

Who is eligible for the FSSAI internship?

You can apply if you are:

• A student currently pursuing a full-time degree in a recognised institution.
• Studying in a relevant field: food science, life sciences, biotechnology, law, commerce, information technology, journalism and allied areas.

You cannot apply if you:

• Have already completed your degree. The internship is only for students currently enrolled in a full-time programme.
• Are a working professional seeking short-term placement outside a full-time student status.

Selection is competitive and depends on the requirement of the division offering the internship, so meeting the eligibility bar does not guarantee a place.

How to apply for the FSSAI internship

FSSAI advertises internship openings in batches rather than keeping a permanent window open. To apply:

1. Watch the FSSAI website (fssai.gov.in); internship tenures are declared online, generally on a quarterly basis through the year.
2. Check the notified eligibility and division requirements for the batch, since specific divisions may want particular academic backgrounds.
3. Prepare your documents; proof of current enrolment/bonafide certificate, latest academic records, and an updated resume.
4. Submit your application through the process specified in the internship notification before the stated deadline.
5. If selected, complete the internship under your reporting officer, maintain attendance, and submit the required report or presentation at the end to be considered for the stipend and certificate.

What documents are required?

Is this the right guide for you?

The FSSAI Internship Scheme suits current students who want hands-on exposure to food-safety regulation and are willing to commit at least two months. If you have already graduated, this internship is not open to you: look instead at entry-level roles or other government internship and fellowship programmes. Since openings are batch-based and competitive, keep an eye on the FSSAI website and apply promptly when a quarterly call appears.

How to check your application status

The FSSAI internship does not run through a centralised, always-on portal with a login dashboard for tracking applications, so there is no application-ID based status tracker to check online at any time. Status updates instead follow the batch-based process the internship is advertised under:

1. Watch for the shortlist or interview call. Once a batch's application window closes, the division reviewing applications shortlists candidates based on academic record, resume fit and the stated requirement. If you are shortlisted, you will typically be contacted through the email address or phone number given in your application, so check the inbox (including spam/promotions folders) linked to your submission regularly after the deadline.
2. Check the FSSAI website for the same notification. The internship notice under which you applied is usually the best place to look for any update, addendum or extended timeline for that batch, since FSSAI posts changes against the original notification rather than through individual applicant accounts.
3. Use the FSSAI helpline for a status query. If a reasonable amount of time has passed since the batch's stated selection timeline and you have heard nothing, you can call the FSSAI Food Safety Voice toll-free helpline (1800-112-100) and ask the operator to direct your query to the internship cell or the relevant division, quoting the batch or notification you applied under, your name and the date you applied.
4. Follow up in writing if you were shortlisted but joining details are unclear. Selected candidates who do not receive joining instructions (reporting officer, division, start date) within the timeframe mentioned in the offer communication should reply to the same email thread or contact the division directly rather than assuming the offer has lapsed.
5. Track your stipend and certificate status after completing the internship, separately from the selection status. Since the stipend is released only after the internship ends and your report or presentation has been assessed, an intern who has finished the tenure should follow up with their own reporting officer for the certificate and stipend disbursal timeline rather than the general helpline, as this decision sits with the office the intern was attached to.

Because there is no unified online tracker, keep a copy of your application, the notification you applied against and the date of submission. Having these on hand makes any status query to the helpline or the division much faster to resolve.

Common reasons for rejection

Applications and internship placements under this scheme are usually turned down or dropped for a small set of recurring reasons, most of which have a clear fix:

• Applicant has already completed their degree. The internship is open only to students currently enrolled full-time. Recent graduates, even those who finished just before applying, are not eligible and get filtered out at the eligibility stage. There is no workaround here: if you have graduated, this scheme is not open to you, and reapplying will not change the outcome.
• No proof of current enrolment submitted, or an outdated one. A bonafide certificate or enrolment proof that does not clearly show you are enrolled as a full-time student for the current academic session is a common reason applications are set aside. Get a fresh bonafide certificate from your institution close to the application date rather than reusing an old one.
• Academic background does not match the division's specific requirement. Individual FSSAI divisions notify internships with a particular field in mind (for example, food technology for laboratory-linked work, or law for a legal division). An application from a mismatched discipline, even from an otherwise strong student, is often not shortlisted simply because the division needed a different specialisation for that batch. Read the specific notification's requirement carefully before applying, rather than applying to every open batch regardless of fit.
• Incomplete or generic resume. Since selection is on merit and division fit, a resume that does not clearly state your field of study, relevant coursework, projects or area of interest makes it harder for a division to shortlist you over other applicants. A resume that only lists a degree name and no substantive detail is one of the more preventable reasons for being passed over.
• Application submitted after the notified deadline or outside an open batch window. Because FSSAI does not accept internship applications year-round, an application sent when no batch is open, or after a batch's deadline has passed, cannot be considered until the next quarterly call. Track the FSSAI website for when the next batch opens rather than applying outside a live window.
• Missing institutional NOC where the specific division has asked for one. Some divisions require a no-objection certificate from the applicant's college or university before confirming a placement. Not producing this document when asked can hold up or cancel a placement even after initial shortlisting.
• Stipend denied despite completing the internship. This is a post-selection rejection rather than an application rejection: the stipend is not automatic and depends on the reporting officer's assessment of attendance and performance, plus submission of the final report or presentation. Interns who have irregular attendance, or who do not submit the closing report or presentation, can complete the internship without receiving the stipend. Maintaining regular attendance and submitting the final report on time is the direct fix.