New Delhi, July 1, 2025 — In a visionary move aimed at embedding youth at the heart of governance, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled the Viksit Delhi Chief Minister’s Internship Programme—a high-impact, structured 89-day experience for 150 young Delhiites and applicants from across India. With a monthly stipend of ₹20,000, the initiative promises transformative exposure in critical areas such as urban mobility, healthcare, waste management, and digital innovation.
1. A “Covenant Between Delhi and Its Youth”
Described by the CM as a “covenant between Delhi and its youth,” the programme invites interns not just to witness but to co-create solutions at the grassroots level timesofindia.indiatimes.com+4newindianexpress.com+4tribuneindia.com+4. Organized around a three-phase journey, it aims to introduce interns to governance, fieldwork, and policymaking—culminating in the drafting of policy briefs for key city issues.
“This forward-looking initiative aligns with the ‘Amrit Peedhi’ vision of PM Narendra Modi, which emphasises that youth are not merely recipients of government programmes but active partners in the nation’s transformative journey.” newindianexpress.com+1indiatoday.in+1.
This marks more than an internship—it signals an institutional shift: youth as stakeholders in policy, innovation as the norm, and Delhi’s future sculpted by informed, passionate young leaders.
2. Who Can Apply? What’s the Selection Process?
Eligibility & Application
Open to graduation and post-graduation students from any stream, the internship draws candidates nationwide (though many hopefuls hail from Delhi) business-standard.com+14viksitdelhiyuva.org+14indiatoday.in+14. Applicants must complete an online form featuring four short-answer questions that probe understanding and intent tribuneindia.com+3indiatoday.in+3timesofindia.indiatimes.com+3.
Screening & Boot Camp
From all submissions, 300 candidates will be shortlisted based on their responses for a one-day intensive boot camp amarujala.com+5tribuneindia.com+5newindianexpress.com+5. There, through workshops, public leader interactions, and an essay test, the final 150 interns will be chosen amarujala.com+6viksitdelhiyuva.org+6timesofindia.indiatimes.com+6.
Selection Criteria
Emphasis on transparency, fairness, and original thought ensures that interns are chosen on merit, writing clarity, engagement, and connective thinking .
3. Intern Stipend & Duration
Over a period of approximately 89 days (July 1 – September 27, 2025), interns will undergo immersive governance roles, backed by biometric attendance systems for accountability and active participation timesofindia.indiatimes.com+3viksitdelhiyuva.org+3tribuneindia.com+3.
Each intern receives a monthly stipend of ₹20,000, totaling ₹60,000 for the programme—providing financial support and recognition for their civic contribution timesofindia.indiatimes.com+8viksitdelhiyuva.org+8indiatoday.in+8.
4. Three-Phase Internship Roadmap
Phase 1: Foundational Training
Interns begin with orientation: insights into Delhi’s administrative structure, policymaking protocols, and urban and social challenges—led by bureaucrats, academicians, and domain experts indiatoday.in+2tribuneindia.com+2newindianexpress.com+2.
Phase 2: Field Engagement
Equipped for grassroots action, interns spend time in all 70 Assembly constituencies, conducting citizen interactions, diagnosing real-world problems, and brainstorming community-driven solutions newindianexpress.com+2indiatoday.in+2tribuneindia.com+2.
Phase 3: Policy Drafting & Presentation
In collaboration with government departments and senior officials, interns author policy documents on ten priority issues. The two most exceptional papers will be personally presented to CM Gupta, marking a direct channel from youth ideas to executive action haribhoomi.com+3newindianexpress.com+3tribuneindia.com+3.
5. Core Focus Areas
Interns will be integrated into active projects within key sectors:
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Urban Mobility – traffic optimization, last-mile connectivity.
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Healthcare – public health outreach and infrastructure improvements.
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Waste Management – sustainable collection, segregation, disposal.
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Digital Innovation – leveraging technology for governance transparency timesofindia.indiatimes.com+4tribuneindia.com+4newindianexpress.com+4newindianexpress.com+2indiatoday.in+2timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2newindianexpress.com+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1.
By working in real government departments, interns will contribute actionable policy insights on public issues in real time.
6. Vision Beyond the Internship: “Viksit Delhi Ambassadors”
Alumni are expected to become “Viksit Delhi Ambassadors”—continuing community outreach, championing policies, and fostering civic awareness within their campuses, neighborhoods, and digital spheres haribhoomi.com+6tribuneindia.com+6newindianexpress.com+6.
This alumni network aims to sustain a pipeline of civic-minded young leaders who actively contribute beyond their internship, influencing Delhi’s socio-political landscape even post-term.
7. Alignment with Broader Delhi & National Youth Initiatives
Within Delhi:
CM Gupta’s earlier efforts—skill connection initiatives with ITIs and partnerships with industry leaders—demonstrate a strategic path: skilling → entrepreneurship → governance participation timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Education governance reforms—like regulating school fee hikes and forming panels for policy oversight—set a tone of structural transparency, into which this internship naturally fits timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
At Union Level:
This aligns with the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS), which targets 10 million youth and already distributes state-level internships in various companies via app-driven platforms (with ₹5,000 stipends plus incidentals) hindustantimes.com+3currentaffairs.adda247.com+3reddit.com+3.
But while PMIS is corporate/industry-focused, the Delhi programme is unique—deeply rooted in public governance, community welfare, and direct policymaking.
8. Anticipated Impact & Future Ripple Effect
Skill & Civic Capacity Building
Structured training equips youth with administrative knowledge, citizen-engagement capabilities, and policy drafting skills—foundations of robust public leadership.
Policy Innovation Pipeline
Fresh perspectives from youth will infuse innovation into Delhi’s governance. Early-stage policy drafts with direct referral to CM office may accelerate solution implementation.
Community Engagement Culture
A cohort of “Ambassadors” sustains a civic culture: awareness drives, issue-based campaigns, and peer-to-peer advocacy across constituencies.
National Template
This programme could serve as a model for other Indian states—where youth-led internships, public policy integration, and government-backed stipends foster a nationwide participatory governance model.
9. Challenges & Considerations
Selection Bias Risks
Ensuring true transparency in boot-camp and essay evaluations will be essential. Periodic audit by external experts could strengthen confidence.
Operational Coordination
Placing interns efficiently in diverse urban and departmental roles, while managing logistics and training quality, demands robust administrative oversight.
Sustainability
Tracking alumni engagement and evaluating policy outputs over time will be key to sustaining programme impact beyond its initial phase.
10. Voices & Reactions
Citizens and youth reacted positively on social media:
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A Delhi University student commented:
“Excited to see such direct inclusion of youth in shaping Delhi’s future. Finally, interns as co-creators—not just assistants!”
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A policy researcher noted:
“Structured three-phase approach is excellent—especially the grassroots diagnostics phase.”
These highlight the growing public expectation for active youth agency in governance.
11. What’s Next? Key Dates & Campaign Steps
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Online Applications: Open via viksitdelhiyuva.org, featuring four short-answer questions reddit.comtribuneindia.com+5haribhoomi.com+5viksitdelhiyuva.org+5. Also via QR codes.
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Shortlisting: 300 candidates notified for boot camp.
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Boot Camp & Essay: One-day intensive with evaluations.
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Final Selection: 150 interns announced.
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Programme Duration: July 1 – September 27, 2025.
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Evaluations & Outputs: Policy papers drafted and top two presented to CM.
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Ambassador Launch: Alumni groups formalized to continue community initiatives.
12. Conclusion: A Leap Toward “Governance by Youth, for Delhi”
The Viksit Delhi CM’s Internship Programme transcends traditional internships—it is a co-creation pact, melding youth enthusiasm with operational governance. As Delhi evolves into a global city, initiatives like this nurture a governance style that is inclusive, innovative, and youth-driven.
By involving youth in real policymaking, Delhi sets a benchmark: that city governance isn’t just a matter for experts, but a collective journey in which every energetic citizen has a seat—starting today, with 150 interns, and expanding tomorrow through decades of civic engagement.
FOR OTHERS INTERSHIP
https://arquanta.com/drdo-internship-july-2025-apply-now-for-%e2%82%b930000-monthly-stipend-eligibility-dates-and-full-details/
https://youtu.be/Qc1T_rTNK28?si=uCLLa07MFMVUXu4e