FIITJEE centres shut down: Students left in the lurch

Parents of students enrolled in FIITJEE coaching centres are facing immense mental stress regarding their children’s future and the financial burden after multiple centres abruptly shut down across North India in the past month. The closures have affected locations in Delhi NCR, including Noida, Delhi, and Ghaziabad.

Parents feel defrauded

To understand the reason behind the sudden shutdown and the parents’ concerns, Patriot visited the affected areas to assess the ground reality. Many parents expressed feelings of betrayal, as they now have nowhere to turn. They are being forced to spend large sums to enrol their children in other coaching centres such as Aakash Institute and Vidya Mandir.

Speaking to Patriot, Meera Sharma, the mother of a Class 11 student, said, “We panicked when we heard about the closure of the FIITJEE centre in Laxmi Nagar. Later, we realised that this issue was affecting many other branches too. The faculty has assured us that our children’s education will not be disrupted, as they are working on an arrangement with Aakash Institute.”

However, Aakash Institute’s management has yet to confirm any formal or informal arrangement with FIITJEE.

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Silence replace coaching hub buzz

In East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, a well-known coaching hub, the streets are usually filled with yellow flyers and advertisements attracting students from across the country. Among the prominent names was FIITJEE, but its sudden closure has left the building – where classes were held on the fifth floor — unusually silent.

With the absence of its usual student crowd, the centre, which once hosted scores of students from Class 6 onwards, now appears deserted.

Rahul Mehta, a Class 12 student, revealed that teachers had been resigning since October, though the reasons remained unclear.

A staff member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that the institute was shut down on January 21 due to a severe staff shortage. “With only 10 teachers remaining out of a staff of 50, it was impossible to continue operations. Several parents have now filed a police complaint,” he added.

Closure amid critical exam season

At the Delhi and NCR centres, the fee for a one-year classroom programme for students who had completed Class 12 Board exams was Rs 90,000, excluding GST. The institute also offered several other programmes, with the most sought-after being the two-year JEE (Main) & JEE (Advanced) classroom course.

The closure comes at a crucial time, as the JEE (Main) examinations have already begun. The first session of the exam was held from January 22 to 30, while the second session is scheduled between April 1 and 8.

Concerned parents are now demanding accountability.

Vikram Sinha, another parent, expressed his frustration, saying, “We enrolled our child in FIITJEE, and now it has shut down. The management is not answering their phones. They must refund our money. The authorities need to intervene because this affects our children’s future.”

“We had to enrol our child in Vidya Mandir, paying the same amount we had already paid to FIITJEE. Since our money was not refunded, we had to take a loan,” Sinha added.

Entire FIITJEE faculty resigns

The situation in Noida is equally grim. The only FIITJEE coaching centre in Sector 62 has now closed, leaving students stranded and parents feeling betrayed.

A staff member revealed that the root cause of the shutdown across all centres was unpaid salaries. “Staff, including centre heads, teachers, and administrative personnel, had not been paid since October. Many teachers alleged that their salaries had been reduced since April. The non-payment of salaries for two consecutive months triggered mass resignations, leading to the shutdown,” he claimed.

A centre head stated, “The entire year has been problematic, especially in terms of salary payments. We received full salaries only until March. For April and May, we got just 60%, and from June to September, only 70%. When we raised concerns, we were told about financial difficulties. We were blamed for low revenue, even though student enrolments remained steady.”

Parents reported receiving a text message from the Noida branch’s head of operations on the evening of January 21, informing them that the centre would remain closed. They were neither given a reason nor offered any refund.

Repeated attempts to contact FIITJEE management for a response have been unsuccessful. Frustrated parents have since filed an FIR at Sector 58 police station.

Vikas Patel, the father of a Class 10 student enrolled at Alpha Tutorials’ Noida branch, said, “We have been with Alpha Tutorials for two years. My daughter joined in Class 9 and later secured a scholarship for Class 11. I have Vikas Patel, the father of a Class 10 student enrolled at Alpha Tutorials’ Noida branch, said, “We have been with Alpha Tutorials for two years. My daughter joined in Class 9 and later secured a scholarship for Class 11. I have

Another affected parent, Amit Verma, said, “We are filing an FIR against FIITJEE today. We paid the full fees for a five-year programme, with two years still remaining. On January 20, we received a message from FIITJEE suggesting that we transfer our children to Aakash Institute. It should be our decision where our child continues their coaching, not FIITJEE’s.”

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Parents in Ghaziabad demand justice

The situation remains unchanged in Ghaziabad, where parents have lodged an FIR against FIITJEE, accusing it of abruptly ceasing operations and disrupting their children’s academic preparation.

Rajesh Tiwari, whose son was in a JEE preparation batch, said, “This closure has left my child in a difficult position just months before his exams. We trusted the institute, but they abandoned us without any explanation.

Neha Malhotra, another parent, added, “My daughter was attending the weekend batch, and we paid a hefty amount in fees. Now, there are no teachers, no classes, and no information about refunds. We feel completely cheated.”

Anil Gupta, whose younger son was enrolled in the foundation programme, said, “This is not just about money. Our children’s future is at stake. We demand immediate intervention from the authorities to address this crisis.”

Despite repeated calls for clarity, FIITJEE’s management has yet to release an official statement regarding the shutdown, refunds, or future arrangements for affected students.