Infosy has terminated approximately 400 trainees at its Mysore campus after they failed to clear mandatory internal assessments, leaving many stranded and emotional as they were asked to immediately vacate the premises.
The mass termination, which took place on February 7, affected trainees who had waited two and a half years to join the company after receiving their offer letters in 2022, MoneyControl reported.
“This is cruelty, it is a big company, trainees fear speaking the truth,” a terminated trainee told MoneyControl on condition of anonymity.
The company defended its actions in a statement to PTI, saying, “All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organisation.” This is also mentioned in their contract, and the process has been in existence for over two decades, says the company.
The terminations were carried out systematically, with groups of 50 trainees called in with their laptops starting at 9:30 AM. Security personnel and bouncers were present during the proceedings, sources revealed.
One particularly emotional scene unfolded when a female trainee from Madhya Pradesh pleaded with officials, “Please let me stay the night. I will leave tomorrow. Where will I go right now?” However, company officials reportedly responded, “We don’t know. You are no longer part of the company. Vacate the premises by 6 pm.”
The situation may worsen as another 450 trainees from the October 21 batch are scheduled for their third assessment attempt on February 14, sources told MoneyControl.
Critics point to drastic changes in the evaluation system. The passing criteria has been raised from 50% to 65%, while the training syllabus has been expanded significantly. The current system requires approximately 200 hours of study, with trainees expected to put in an additional eight hours of self-study daily.
“This blatant corporate exploitation cannot be allowed to continue, and we urge the government to take swift action to uphold the rights and dignity of Indian IT workers,” said Harpreet Singh Saluja of NITES in a statement.