To everyone’s shock, eight FIITJEE coaching centers in North India have shuttered in a surprise move. Students and parents in hundreds throughout the region are finding themselves facing a scramble just in time for the board and entrance exams. Closures reportedly stemmed from a mass resignation of teachers due to nonpayment of salaries, officials confirmed.
Impacted areas include Noida, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Varanasi, Delhi, and Patna, with the newest addition, Meerut, being included. In Meerut, an effort to introduce teachers from the Noida branch, however, remained that way for only a few days, before the whole center was closed down.
The sudden closures have left parents fuming. People have filed police complaints against the private coaching institute alleging inadequate prior notice and refund. Various videos and photos on social media show parents demonstrating outside the formerly closed-down FIITJEE centers.
Parents Protest as FIITJEE Coaching Centers Across North India Faces Financial Troubles
Parents have complained about a lack of opacity/transparency/information and communication of their findings. One parent from Meerut, who had invested ₹6 lakh for their child’s coaching, said,
“The institute assured us the centers wouldn’t shut down, and classes would continue. Even after the teachers resigned, they claimed they could still manage. Now, we’re left stranded.”
Another parent who recently paid ₹4 lakh in fees revealed that an outgoing teacher informed them about the faculty resignations, attributing it to months of unpaid salaries.
It seems clear that the financial crisis associated with FIITJEE has been at the core of the problem and this has been aggravated by administrative and civic problems such as fire safety issues and licensing irregularities. The situation has become more dreadful at a most crucial stage, as a large number of students are gearing up to take the JEE Mains Session-1 (January 22-24) a major qualifying exam for engineering aspirants.
Founded in 1992 by IIT Delhi alumni DK Goel, FIITJEE has 72 centers spread across 41 cities and more than 300 employees. Recognized as a specialist coach of engineering and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), its current disarray has its reputation hanging by a thread.
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