Give importance to English, FM tells techies

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that software graduates should be able to communicate fluently in English.

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram asked software graduates to give importance to communication skills in English besides a good technical knowledge as premier companies like Infosys looked for students with ability to communicate in English well.

Inaugurating a ‘super loan sangamam’ (Loan Mela) of the Shriram Group at Karaikudi near Sivaganga, he said during placement, held by a leading software company in Sivaganga district,only 19 out of the 57 engineers (who were interviewed) were selected.

The reason given by the company was though the students had very good technical knowledge, they could not communicate well

in English. Though it was not necessary to speak like an English professor, students should be able to communicate fluently in English, Chidambaram said.

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He suggested companies like Shriram and Alagappa University could take up training students in Spoken English.

He lauded the initiative of the Shriram Group for giving a variety of loans–for tractor, engine, two wheelers.

He said nationalised banks had their own limitations in giving variety of loans. “That is why I want both public and private sector to be involved in financing activities,” he said.