Infosys has postponed internal assessments for trainees by a week, citing the need to provide them with additional preparation time. The decision follows the recent layoff of more than 300 freshers at its Mysuru campus, who were dismissed after failing to clear internal assessments even after three attempts.
The IT services giant clarified that the deferral was purely to support trainees and denied any external influence in the decision. “We are deferring our assessments by a week to provide additional preparation time for our trainees,” Infosys said in a statement, dismissing speculation that external pressure played a role.
Employee Union Claims Credit for Delay
However, the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a prominent IT employee union, has claimed that its intervention, media pressure, and government involvement forced Infosys to postpone the tests. NITES stated that around 800 trainees were set to undergo an assessment on Tuesday, with results scheduled for Wednesday.
“Following our intervention and the swift action from the government, Infosys has now postponed the assessment. While this brings some relief to employees, the fight for fair employment practices and job security is far from over,” NITES said in a statement.
The employee union had earlier escalated the layoff issue to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which subsequently directed the Karnataka State Labour Department to investigate the situation and ensure the affected employees were treated fairly.
Infosys Denies Government Pressure
While NITES attributed the decision to its activism, Infosys firmly denied that it had received any official request from the government or any other external entities to delay the tests. Instead, the company reiterated that the decision was taken independently to help trainees perform better.
Infosys’ Training and Layoff Policy Under Scrutiny
The recent layoffs at Infosys’ Mysuru campus have triggered widespread discussions about training policies and employee retention within India’s IT sector. Infosys, like many IT firms, conducts internal assessments to evaluate trainee performance before confirming their employment. However, the dismissal of freshers after completing foundational training has drawn criticism.
Employee unions argue that these policies lack transparency and fairness, leading to job insecurity among fresh hires. The layoffs have also raised concerns about the impact of training and assessment structures on India’s IT workforce.
The Road Ahead for Infosys Trainees
With the assessments postponed, trainees now have an additional week to prepare. However, the larger issue of job security in India’s IT industry remains a pressing concern. NITES has vowed to continue pushing for greater protection for freshers and ensuring that internal assessment systems are more transparent and fair.
As the debate continues, the developments at Infosys could set a precedent for how Indian IT companies handle trainee assessments and job confirmations in the future.
