Dubai
In a country where engineering is a popular choice among students, it came as a shock when the CEO of Indian technology giant, Tech Mahindra, CP Gurnani said: “94% of IT (Information Technology) graduates [in India] are not fit for hiring.”
In an exclusive interview with the Indian daily, Times of India, Gurnani said: “A student scoring 60 per cent marks cannot pursue BA English today, but can definitely go in for engineering. My point is simple — are we not creating people for unemployment? ... The Indian IT industry wants skills. For example, Nasscom says 6 million people are required in cybersecurity by 2022. But we have a skills shortage.”
Information technology graduates and other Twitter users in India took to the platform to highlight the state of IT education in the country. Earlier today, the discussion was among top five trending topics in India.
Twitter user @mittispeaks sympathised with engineering students and their parents: “Just imagine the state of the parents and children who discover this when they come out of the education tunnel... what you thought was the light is the train coming towards you.”
Just imagine the state of the parents and kids who discover this when they come out of the education tunnel ....what you thought was the light is the train coming towards you.... https://t.co/QO9xpwB6la
— MVS Murthy (@mittispeaks) June 4, 2018
Programmer and verified Twitter user @rohitnig wrote: “It’s a crying shame... The colleges have become graduate churning factories with sole purpose of making money. The children want a job, or H1B with no sense of creativity or engineering. Ticking time bomb.”
It's a crying shame that 94% of IT graduates are not fit for hiring, as per Tech Mahindra CEO.
— Rohit Prasad Nigam (@rohitnig) June 4, 2018
The colleges have become graduate churning factories with sole purpose of making money.
The kids want a job, or H1B with no sense of creativity or engineering.
Ticking Time Bomb.
Tweep @theoneabhi agreed that engineering institutions only cared about making money. “Most of these graduates are products of private colleges, whose sole aim is to earn more money. They’re like Indian IT companies, only interested in body shopping.”
Body shopping is the practice of sub-contracting; where a business loans the technical expertise of an organisation’s employee.
Many working in the field of technology replied saying it was easy to criticise but not enough was being done to train young IT professionals. Software architect @SharmaKhemchand tweeted: “We do not appreciate statement of Mr @C_P_Gurnani Tech Mahindra CEO... What is your contribution in #SkillDevelopment and #EmpoweringStudents? Criticism is an easy thing! Yes there is a need of constructive efforts from IT industry asap.”
@NewLifeShoes said technology companies also share the responsibility to train young IT professionals: “Hey look at me, I am a Tech company and I won’t hire you because 94% of IT graduates are not fit. However, I will also not give you an unpaid internship at my company, because otherwise, you might learn some actual skills!”
hey look at me,
— Ali khundmiri 🛠 (@NewLifeShoes) June 4, 2018
I am a Tech company and I won't hire you because 94% of IT graduates are not fit.
But however,
I will also not give you an unpaid internship at my company, because otherwise, you might learn some actual skills!
According to the annual Science and Engineering Indicators 2018 report by the National Science Foundation, India accounts for one-fourth of the estimated 7.5 million bachelor in science and engineering degrees awarded across the world in 2014.
