The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Agonising wait for course completion certificates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Agonising wait for course completion certificates

By V.S. Palaniappan

COIMBATORE, FEB. 21 . Thousands of students of Industrial Training Institutes in the State are yet to get course completion certificates, after completing their course several years ago.

For want of a National Trade Certificate (to certify course completion), these students had to forgo jobs in the country and abroad, especially in the Middle East.

Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC), a city-based organisation, has sought a direction from the Madras High Court to the Director of Employment and Training, Chennai.

Awaiting certificate

Enquiries reveal that students who completed Computer Operator and Programming Assistant, Patent Maker, Machinist, Data Processing and Computer Operations during 1996-2000 are waiting for the certificate.

The certificates have been issued to those who completed the course after 2000, but the earlier batches are not so fortunate.

The delay is due to hitches in recognition of or affiliation to course, sources in ITI said on condition of anonymity.

Similarly, the students who underwent millwright mechanic, refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic and plastic processing courses since 2001 are yet to get the certificate.

Because of the problems in recognition and delay in official communication on affiliation, the students who took information technology and electrical system maintenance were not likely to get a chance to appear for the examinations this time, the sources said.

The CCC secretary, K. Kathirmathiyon, said there were instances of students waiting for the certificate for five-seven years, because of the delay by the National Council for Vocational Training under the Union Ministry of Labour (the affiliating authority). At least 20,000 students in the State who joined the courses (in dispute) during 1996-2001 were going through mental agony, as they did not have the certificate.

Reason not cited

The authorities could not cite any reason for the delay. "As a result, a remedy eludes these students whose future is at stake".

The students were also at a loss to know whom they should approach for getting the certificates.

Entitled to compensation

The Director of Employment and Training would be held responsible for the sufferings of the students and they would be entitled to compensation, if the certificates were not provided to them within a reasonable time, said the show-cause notice issued by the CCC.

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