Future of approximately twelve hundred master degree holders is at the stake due to their attachments with the parliamentarians for one year in the name of internship under Prime Minister Youth Training Scheme, it was learnt. It is expected that the parliamentarians may use the interns for their personal gains.
Available documents disclosed to Pakistan Today that one thousand and two hundred thirty-three young master degree holders have been attached with members of senate, national and provincial assemblies and legislature of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and, Gilgit-Baltistan for one year in the name of internship under PMYTS (Prime Minister Youth Training Scheme). A total of Rs 17 crore and 75 lac will be paid to these interns in the name of PMYTS. However, these interns will help resolve the issues and problems of the electoral constituencies of the parliamentarians and to some extent will serve the personal interests of senators, MNAs, MPAs and legislatures of AJK and GB.
Documents further revealed that on the advice of the Speaker National Assembly, 342 interns have been attached with legislators in their respective constituencies and, these young master degree holder interns including Master in Business Administration (MBA), science and other professional degree holders will serve as coordinator to resolve the problems of constituencies of MNAs. Similarly, 104 master degree holders interns have been attached with members of upper house, 349 interns with members of Punjab Assembly, 123 master graduates with members of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Assembly, and 23 interns with members of Gilgit Baltistan legislature.
It is also learnt that 168 young master degree holders will be attached with members of Sindh assembly, 65 with members of Balochistan assembly and 49 with legislatures of AJK.
Although, a basic aim of launching PMYTS was to offer one-year training to young master degree holders in relevant fields to their qualifications so that they may easily hunt concerned jobs opportunities, however, the young professional master degree holders have been associated with parliamentarians, keeping in mind the upcoming general elections 2018.
The documents also transpired that though payment of stipend at Rs 12,000 per month will be given to these young interns attached with parliamentarians, however, an amended PC-1 has been forwarded to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval, seeking Rs 3,000 per month raise in the stipend of young interns. Also, relaxation of upper age limit from 25 to 30 years in case of candidates for internship belonging to FATA (federally administered tribal areas),GB, AJK and less developed areas of southern Punjab while relaxing age limit from 28 to 30 years in case of Balochistan candidates for internship and rural areas of Sindh have been sought from ECNEC.
Sources in planning ministry said that the future of hundreds of young master degree holders might be in danger due to the irrelevant experience of an internship with respect to their qualifications. They said that heavy majority of these interns, after spending one year time, will possibly face difficulties in the search of job only because of lack of practical experience in the relevant fields of jobs. Young master degree holders who have obtained degrees in professional and science fields will have to experience once again an internship in a relevant field to easily get a job. Around the world, the internship is offered to candidates in relevant fields to their degree qualifications, sources said.
The internship program was started for the first time during the era of former president Pervez Musharraf under which it was made necessary for the young master degree holders to work for one year as intern in the relevant field prior to assuming a job.