Internship at NITI Aayog, New Delhi (6 Weeks to 6 Months; July Window Closes 10 July)

NITI Aayog, the Government of India's apex public policy think tank, runs a standing internship scheme that engages undergraduate students, postgraduate students and research scholars from recognised universities and institutions in India and abroad as interns. Interns work closely with NITI Aayog's verticals, divisions and cells and are expected to supplement the Aayog's analysis through empirical collection and collation of in-house and other information, contributing policy inputs such as empirical analysis, briefing reports and policy papers.

This is a rolling monthly scheme: the online application link opens from the 1st to the 10th of every month. The current window closes on 10 July 2026; if you miss it, the portal reopens on 1 August.

The scheme is open to bonafide students of any recognised university or institution, and NITI Aayog's divisions include Law, Governance and Reforms, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Economics and Finance, among others. Applicants must clearly indicate their area of interest while applying; the domains listed in the scheme guidelines include Governance, Social Justice and Empowerment, Public Finance and Budget, Public Private Partnership, and Rural Development and SDGs, all of which offer meaningful exposure for students of law and policy.

• Undergraduate students: must have completed or appeared in the term-end exams of the second year / 4th semester of the bachelor's degree course, and secured not less than 85% or equivalent marks in Class 12.
• Graduate / postgraduate students: must have completed or appeared in the term-end exams of the first year / 2nd semester of their postgraduate programme, or be pursuing research/PhD, and have secured not less than 70% or equivalent marks in graduation.
• Recent graduates: students who have appeared in the final exam or just completed graduation/PG and are awaiting admission to higher studies may also be considered, provided they secured 70% or more cumulative marks and the gap between the result declaration and the desired internship month does not exceed six months.

Applicants who do not fulfil the eligibility conditions are rejected automatically by the system.

The internship period is at least six weeks and not more than six months. The internship is on an unpaid basis. Interns must bring their own laptops; NITI Aayog provides working space, internet facility and other necessities. On successful completion, a certificate is issued by the Adviser of the concerned subject division. A minimum of 75% attendance is mandatory (with daily in/out marking); interns falling short receive no extension and no experience certificate, and interns not completing the requisite period are not issued any certificate.

• Applications are accepted online only, from the 1st to the 10th of every month. The July 2026 window closes on 10 July 2026.
• You can apply up to six months in advance, but not later than two months before the month in which the internship is desired (so the July window is for internships commencing from around September 2026 onwards).
• A candidate can apply for the internship only once during a financial year.
• The application is valid only for the desired month indicated.

Applications received online are placed before the heads of the concerned verticals, divisions and units for scrutiny and selection; each vertical can take a maximum of three interns at a time (relaxable with the CEO's permission), and the Adviser's decision on suitability is final. Selected candidates must produce original mark sheets and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their college/institution at the time of joining, failing which the candidature is cancelled. The NOC must also state that the student is not registered for any course requiring classroom attendance during the internship period. Lists of selected candidates are uploaded on the NITI Aayog website.

Apply online through the official NITI Aayog internship portal (workforindia.niti.gov.in) between the 1st and 10th of the month, filling in the registration form and clearly indicating your area of interest. You can track your application status on the same portal. For technical issues relating to online submissions, contact NIC at nic-niti[at]gov[dot]in.