Bengaluru, Apr 18 (UNI) The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has lodged a fresh and strongly-worded complaint with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, accusing IT giant Infosys Ltd of carrying out the unlawful and unethical termination of 370 apprentices enrolled under the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS).
What makes this action particularly serious, NITES said, is the fact that it comes while an official government inquiry is still ongoing into an earlier case involving the termination of over 700 apprentices in October 2024.
The initial complaint, also filed by NITES, is currently under active investigation by the Director of the Board of Practical Training (Eastern Region), with relevant documents already submitted by affected trainees.
“By terminating another 370 apprentices in the exact same unlawful manner, Infosys has not only repeated the offence but directly challenged the authority and credibility of India’s legal and institutional framework,” NITES President, Harpreet Singh Saluja, who also is an advocate, said in a statement.
In its complaint, NITES has alleged that the 370 fresh terminations were carried out without any legal justification, prior notice, or adherence to due process. Moreover, the affected trainees were allegedly coerced into signing “mutual separation” agreements, which the union termed a “cover” for unlawful dismissals under the guise of consent.
“These actions have been carried out in complete defiance of the Government of India’s authority,” Saluja said, noting that such practices undermine the very purpose of the National Apprenticeship Programme, which is meant to provide skill training and long-term employability to India’s youth.
The union stated that the repeated conduct of Infosys illustrates “corporate arrogance” and a belief that the company can operate outside the purview of the law. “This is not just misconduct—it is a dangerous signal to other companies that labour laws can be violated with impunity,” Saluja warned.
He added that apprenticeship is not a tool for exploitation, and that young professionals should not be treated as “disposable labour” under short-term contracts that leave them with no legal recourse.
“This is not merely a matter of company policy. This is a test of the Indian state’s commitment to protecting the rights and futures of its youth. The government must take immediate and firm action,” Saluja urged.
The fresh complaint by NITES has added pressure on the ministry to expedite the pending inquiry and take a firm stance against repeated violations by corporate entities under the cover of contractual apprenticeship terms.
