We found 2 things raising your value and 2 this holding your pay down.
8 questions. 90 seconds. Your two roads, side by side.

A normal week on general shift
Every diploma engineer we meet names one of these.
“Am I too old to study now?”
“EMI, rent, fees. My salary cannot stop.”
“10-hour shifts. Where is the time?”
“I left books 10 years ago. Can I still learn?”
Each one has a clear answer. Rules and numbers, not motivation.
AICTE dropped the part-time label.
Diploma holders join in the 2nd year.
Weekly campus trips. Labs are virtual.
No upper age limit. Not 35, not 45.
Sources: BLS.gov, Australian Dept. of Employment. Career figure is illustrative.
It is written in HR policy. Your rating cannot cross it.
You never lost a race. You were never allowed in it.
You do an engineer's work. Your grade says otherwise. Let us check the gap.