Trouble is brewing at Ashok Leyland Information Technology Ltd (ALIT). The once prestigious information technology giant of the Hindujas, which offered mainframe courses for students, is now grappling with a serious problem of staff exodus and dwindling student quality.

Company officials are believed to have held a series of meetings to evolve a solution. The company had already roped in the services of Y P Sahni, a well-known figure in the IT industry as its new executive chairman.

ALIT is believed to be facing a situation whereby it does not have a full-fledged teaching faculty. The process got hastened in the last two weeks when two senior teaching faculty members put in their papers and abruptly left the organisation.

ALIT officials, however, maintained that the company is not short-staffed. They maintained that the problem is only temporary and would be sorted out soon. ``The IT industry has a vast pool of talent which we hope to tap,'' said B Subba Rao, vice-president, ALIT.

The company had started the mainframe courses in Bangalore with much fanfare two years ago. When started it was one of the most high profile courses for aspirants to careers in the IT industry. But it is no longer the springboard that it once was.

The institute had been selective in its initial stages. The students were chosen after strict tests and filtering. So much so that the success rate with each batch was outstanding.

Things, however started changing in the last six months. With more students than jobs, ALIT found it hard-pressed to find placement for students. As many as 20 students from the last batch are believed to be unemployed. ALIT officials were surprisingly silent on this issue.

IT industry sources, have a different story to tell. According to them the quality of students from ALIT is no longer up to the mark. ``In their eagerness to make more money the institute has slipped in its standards.

With anybody finding a place in the course, it is not easy for us to employ them,'' said a top executive of an IT firm here.

Subba Rao maintains that the quality of students selected is by no way inferior. ``Our students are among the most widely desired candidates in the industry,'' he claims. He added that the company is drawing new plans for the education segment.

ALIT had also chalked out plans to spread wings in the city. It had acquired premises at Jayanagar for combining all its activities under one roof. The company has now dropped the plan and is now using the building as office space.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.