Kerala: Human Rights panel takes up tech firm job denial

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two students of NIT, Calicut, landed in soup after they were selected during the campus interview conducted by Tata Elxsi of Technopark on  October 8 last year. When they went to join the company  on  this October 7,   they were shown the door saying that they did not meet their expectations. The hapless youths, S. Shyam Kumar, 23,  and Aswin R. Pillai, approached the State Human Rights Commission which ordered the company to submit a report before December 15. The students have sought a  compensation of Rs 1 crore from the  company.

Shyam from Thiruvananthapuram  and Aswin from Nooranad in Alappuzha district had scored 6.88 and 6.97 Cumulative Grade Point Average respectively in B.Tech in Electronics and Communication during the academic year 2012-16. “After changing the appointment date twice, we were asked to join on  October 7.  However, two HR department officials told us that we did not meet their expectations and we were shown the door. They could have told us this during the campus interview or even when the offer letter was issued and later when the appointment letter was sent to us,”  Shyam told DC. Over 20 other IT companies  had come to NIT Calicut.

“Another  IT company had offered a salary package of  Rs 10 lakh per annum which we could not take up as Tata Elxsi  had given us the offer first  and offered Rs 4 lakh package per annum,” said Aswin. Shyam also said that with 6-7 months without work,  the start-up companies were willing to pay them only Rs 1.20 lakh per annum. An SHRC official said that acting chairperson Mohandas had sought a report from Tata Elxsi MD and CEO Madhukar Dev.