IT giant Infosys is facing sharp criticism after dismissing around 400 trainees at its Mysuru campus for allegedly failing internal evaluations.
However, the company has come under fire for forcibly evicting them on the same day, even denying requests for an overnight stay. A Moneycontrol report detailed the ordeal of trainees let go on February 7, highlighting the abrupt nature of their removal.
One of the dismissed trainees, a woman from Madhya Pradesh, tearfully pleaded with officials, saying, “Please let me stay the night. I will leave tomorrow. Where will I go right now?”
Her plea fell on deaf ears, as a colleague recalled the officials' blunt response: “We don’t know. You are no longer part of the company. Vacate the premises by 6 pm.”
The terminations were part of a mass layoff of around 400 trainees who failed to clear internal assessments after three attempts. Many, having joined Infosys over two years after graduation, were suddenly left scrambling for transport home, dreading the prospect of informing their families about their abrupt dismissal.
According to Moneycontrol, the dismissals took place in a highly controlled environment, with batches of about 50 trainees being summoned early in the morning on February 7. They were reportedly ushered into a room, guarded by security personnel and bouncers, and informed under strict confidentiality not to discuss the situation with others.
The process, described by one of the dismissed trainees, involved the use of buses as shields to prevent attention from Finacle (Infosys’ digital banking platform) employees and several clients from the US who were present on campus.
The company’s official statement clarified that its rigorous hiring process includes three assessment attempts for trainees, and those who fail to meet the criteria are let go, in line with company policy. “This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients,” an Infosys employee had told Moneycontrol.
However, several former trainees have raised concerns over the stricter eligibility criteria introduced for the 2024 batch. Allegedly, changes to the evaluation system made assessments more challenging, with trainers warning that many trainees would struggle.
As of now, there are concerns that up to 4,500 trainees still in training may face a similar fate if they do not meet the new benchmarks.
The evaluation system itself has also undergone significant changes.
In the previous structure, trainees were required to clear two phases: generic and technology stream, with an overall passing rate of 50 percent. But, the current system imposes far stricter requirements, including a minimum of 65 percent in each area of evaluation.
Additionally, the syllabus has been greatly expanded, leaving trainees with insufficient time to complete the required coursework, especially given the extended hours of self-study required.
For instance, the programming fundamentals section now spans approximately 120 hours, while the total study time required for all subjects amounts to around 200 hours, though trainees are expected to study an additional eight hours daily outside of formal training hours.
Such changes have led to a marked increase in failure rates. Of the 930 trainees who joined the programme on October 7, 2024, only around 160 passed on their first attempt, and over 630 failed by January 2025. The termination rate, once below 10 percent, has now surged to as high as 30-40 percent
Additionally, there are concerns about unfair overlap in the syllabus, with trainees in support roles like system engineers now facing the same stringent assessments as specialist programmers, who have much higher salary expectations.
Previously, the exams were tailored to specific job roles, but now, all trainees are subjected to the same tests, leading to complaints about the disproportionate difficulty, particularly for those in lower-paying positions.
