Internship Exploitation PIL Filed in Supreme Court — Petition Seeks Legal Safeguards for India’s Young Workforce

In a first-of-its-kind legal move, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court of India highlighting the widespread exploitation of interns and trainees across sectors, and demanding the formulation of a national legal framework to protect their rights.

The PIL, filed by a group of recent graduates, student unions, and labor rights advocates, sheds light on a growing yet largely unregulated “grey economy” of internships, where young individuals are often underpaid, overworked, and denied basic protections.

This case opens a national conversation on whether the Indian legal system is doing enough to protect its millions of student workers, and what it means to be an intern in the world’s fastest-growing economy.

The Petition: What It Demands

The PIL, listed for hearing in early July 2025, seeks the following from the apex court:

  1. Definition of Internship and Intern Rights under Law
  • A legally binding definition of internships, differentiating them from apprenticeships or regular employment
     
  • Minimum standards for:
    • Work hours
    • Stipends
    • Leave and grievance redressal
       
    • Internships must include contracts signed by both parties, stating duties, learning outcomes, duration, and compensation, if any.
       
    • Calls for a ban on unpaid internships exceeding 4 weeks, unless part of a structured academic requirement.
       
    • A government-monitored Internship Regulation Authority (IRA) to:
      • Certify fair internship providers
      • Enforce compliance
      • Maintain a grievance redressal portal
    • While not equating interns to full-time employees, the PIL urges limited protection under:
      • Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act (POSH)
      • Occupational Safety and Health laws
  1. Mandatory Written Internship Agreements
  2. Prohibition of Unpaid Full-Time Internships
  3. Creation of a National Internship Framework
  4. Inclusion of Interns in Labor Protections

Why It Matters: The Unseen Labor Force

India witnesses over 1 crore internships annually, across:

  • Corporates
  • Media houses
  • Government offices
  • Startups
  • Law firms
  • NGOs

Yet, most of these are informal, unregulated, and without contracts. The result?

  • No compensation
  • No formal feedback
  • No redressal in case of harassment or exploitation

Many interns work for 8–10 hours a day without pay, driven by the hope of future employment, recommendation letters, or resume value.

Stories from the Ground: Interns Speak Out

Nikhil Mehra, a final-year law student, shared:

“I interned for 3 months at a top Delhi law firm. No stipend, no feedback, no certificate. I was running errands and proofing documents without a desk. But I stayed because it’s how you get noticed.”

Tanya Roy, a design student in Mumbai, said:

“I worked 10-hour shifts at a fashion house, helped with their fashion week booth, and got a ‘thank you’ email. No stipend, no contract, and when I asked for a certificate—they ghosted me.”

Such stories are common, but legal recourse is rare.

Legal Gaps and Institutional Silence

India currently lacks a dedicated law governing internships. While apprenticeships are governed by the Apprentices Act, 1961, and some academic internships fall under AICTE or UGC guidelines, private internships remain a legal vacuum.

Most internships fall outside:

  • The Industrial Disputes Act
  • The Minimum Wages Act
  • The Factories Act

Even the POSH Act, which mandates internal complaints committees (ICCs), is rarely followed in firms that take interns.

Comparative Models: What Other Countries Do

  • United States: The U.S. Department of Labor uses a 7-point test to determine whether an internship must be paid.
  • United Kingdom: Unpaid internships are allowed only for voluntary or student placements, not full-time commercial roles.
  • France: Paid internships are mandatory if they last more than 2 months.

India, by contrast, leaves it to “goodwill”.

What the Petition May Lead To

The Supreme Court may:

  • Direct the Ministry of Labour and Employment to draft a policy framework
     
  • Ask the UGC, AICTE, and Bar Council of India to update internship norms for regulated professions
     
  • Set minimum legal protections under the right to dignity and equal opportunity (Article 21 and 14)

Expert Opinions and Industry Pushback

While many professionals and academics support the PIL, some industry groups argue that:

  • Mandatory payment may discourage startups from hiring interns
  • Regulating internships may reduce opportunities for students

However, legal experts argue that basic dignity and legal clarity are non-negotiable.

Advocate Karuna Nundy stated:

“You can’t have free labor disguised as mentorship. Interns are not charity cases—they’re contributors. The law must reflect that.”

Learning Shouldn’t Mean Exploitation

Internships are meant to be a bridge between classroom and career—not a trapdoor of unpaid labor. This PIL could become a watershed moment in defining what young people can expect—and demand—when they walk into a workplace for the first time.

Because if internships are the first taste of working life, they shouldn’t teach exploitation—they should teach empowerment.

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