By Kavita Mistry 
A fresh controversy has emerged in India’s largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as multiple employees have alleged being forced to resign after failing internal assessments. The issue has triggered outrage among worker unions, with the Forum for IT Employees (FITE) demanding transparency, accountability, and protection of employee rights.
Internal Exams Becoming Grounds for Exit?
Over the past few months, several TCS employees have taken to social media and worker forums claiming they were pressured to resign after failing internal competency exams.
These tests—meant to assess technical skills, project readiness, and domain knowledge—are now allegedly being used as performance filters to push out employees.
Employees reported:
- Mandatory internal exams with little preparation time
- Automatic low-performance tagging after failure
- HR pressure to resign voluntarily
- Threats of “poor appraisal ratings” or “no project allocation”
Some employees claim they were on bench or transitioning between projects when they were told to attempt multiple assessments without support or guidance.
Worker Union Raises Alarm
FITE, which recently supported TCS employees in gratuity and forced-resignation cases, has called the practice “unfair, opaque, and exploitative.”
The union has demanded:
- Clear and transparent evaluation criteria
- Appeal mechanisms for employees who fail exams
- Independent audits of internal assessments
- Protection from forced resignations and coercion
FITE stated that internal skilling initiatives should focus on training, not punishment, especially in a changing tech landscape where employees require time to upgrade skills.
Broader Pattern of Exit-Related Controversies
This development follows other incidents where TCS faced scrutiny for exit practices. Recent cases include:
- A TCS employee forced to resign during a family medical emergency, who later won gratuity compensation at the Labour Office
- Senior employees alleging coerced resignations during medical leave or years of service
- Vendor and contract workers complaining of sudden termination notices
Together, these concerns highlight a growing need for fair HR systems across India’s IT sector.
Why Internal Exams Matter in the IT Industry
As the IT industry undergoes rapid transformation—AI, cloud, cybersecurity, automation—companies have intensified internal upskilling initiatives. However, using these assessments as grounds for job loss raises ethical and legal questions.
Experts argue that:
- Skill tests should support learning, not punish employees
- Sudden skill reshuffling creates pressure, anxiety, and burnout
- India’s IT workforce requires structured re-skilling, not fear-driven evaluation
TCS has not issued any formal statement on the allegations yet.
TCS employees have alleged being forced to resign after failing internal exams, triggering concerns about unfair evaluation and coerced exits. Worker union FITE has demanded transparent assessment processes, appeal mechanisms, and protection of employee rights. The controversy adds to recent disputes involving forced resignations and unfair HR practices. Experts say internal exams should promote learning—not become grounds for job loss in India’s evolving IT sector.