.First Fruits of Labor

The first batch of the Affirmative Action training that started after I took over in Kolkata is over. Out of the 36 who had joined initially 31 of them completed the training, and eight of them got the offer at TCS. I am proud of the eight. But it also raises some fundamental questions within me. Though nearly half of the students were tribals in the category, not a single one of them had got through! Just one tribal girl had passed the aptitude test, and had failed in the face-to-face interviews. There was one Krishna Methe. She was very confident and postured when I visited them on 20 May, and spoke rather well in English. But she had failed in the aptitude test.

Something bothers me: why are girls failing a lot in the aptitude test? What stops the tribal students from achieving more when equal opportunities are given? What has to be enhanced to give them further support. Do we need to build differentiated training into the curriculum? Do the tribal students need more hours of training or slower pace of training? Do the girls need additional hours spent in aptitude and mathematical sessions?

Or, do we need to engage different training skills for different communities and gender? Only more experiments over the coming months can say. For now, the first fruits will join TCS shortly. I am proud of them. Welcome to the corporate world, associates!