NITI Aayog Internship Scheme

What is the NITI Internship Scheme?

NITI Internship Scheme is the internship programme of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), the Government of India's premier policy think tank. According to the NITI Aayog internship policy, the scheme lets students and research scholars work for a short period with the Aayog's verticals and divisions to get first-hand exposure to public-policy research and government functioning.

The internship is unpaid. NITI Aayog does not pay a stipend, nor does it provide travel, accommodation or any other allowance. What an intern gains is the experience of working inside a central policy institution and a certificate awarded on satisfactory completion. This makes the scheme attractive to students building a career in economics, public policy, development and allied fields, despite the absence of a stipend.

Main features

• Unpaid internship, no stipend or allowance.
• Open to undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate students and research scholars.
• Minimum marks condition of 70% (or equivalent) in the ongoing or last completed course.
• Duration of minimum six weeks and up to six months.
• Certificate of completion issued for satisfactory service.
• Online-only application, accepted between the 1st and 10th of each month.

Who is eligible for the NITI Internship Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are pursuing or have completed an undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate degree, or are a research scholar, at a recognised institution.
• You have secured at least 70% marks (or the equivalent grade / CGPA) in your ongoing or most recently completed course.
• You can commit to the minimum six-week internship period.

You cannot apply if:

• You have less than 70% marks in the qualifying / ongoing course, the marks condition is a firm cut-off.
• You are not a student or research scholar of a recognised institution.
• You cannot serve the minimum six-week duration, since certificates are issued only for the required minimum period.

Selection is also subject to the availability of slots in the vertical or division you are interested in, and to any cap on the number of interns the Aayog takes at a time. Meeting the eligibility conditions does not by itself guarantee selection.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the NITI Aayog internship

The application is entirely online and there is no fee. Follow these steps:

1. Open the NITI Aayog internship portal linked from niti.gov.in during the application window — the 1st to the 10th of the month.
2. Register and fill the application with your academic details, marks, the vertical or subject area you are interested in and your preferred internship dates.
3. Upload the required documents: latest marksheet showing at least 70%, the bonafide certificate / no-objection from your institution, and identity proof.
4. Submit the application and note the reference. Selected candidates are informed by NITI Aayog; there is no offline route.

Apply well ahead of your intended start date, as internships are allotted against available slots and the intake is limited.

What does an intern get?

The NITI internship provides no stipend, but it offers exposure to policy work inside a central government institution and a certificate of completion for those who serve the minimum period and complete their assigned work satisfactorily. Interns typically work with a specific vertical or division on research, data analysis or documentation under the guidance of NITI Aayog officers.

The internship does not create any claim to employment or further engagement with NITI Aayog. It is a short, learning-focused programme, and applicants should approach it for the experience and the certificate rather than as a paid job or a recruitment channel.

Help and information

• NITI Aayog internship portal (via niti.gov.in), for the current policy, the application window and the online form.
• UMANG also carries a listing of the NITI Internship Scheme with the core eligibility and duration details.

NITI Internship Scheme is a niche, unpaid, short-duration programme; readers looking for a paid government internship should note the absence of any stipend before applying.