Eight FIITJEE coaching centres across North India have abruptly shut down over the past week, leaving students and parents distressed as board and entrance exams near. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the closures were prompted by a mass resignation of teachers citing unpaid salaries.
A centre in Noida’s Sector 62 became the latest to close on Wednesday. The private coaching institute has also shut down locations in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, as well as one centre each in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Patna (Bihar), and Laxmi Nagar in Delhi.
Parents have filed police complaints, claiming that the coaching institute failed to inform them about the closures or issue refunds. Protest videos and images of parents outside the now-closed branches have surfaced.
FIITJEE, founded in 1992 by IIT Delhi graduate DK Goel, provides coaching for students in classes 6 to 12 aspiring to secure admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), or to participate in various science olympiads.
A report by NDTV quoted a parent of a student enrolled in the Meerut FIITJEE centre as saying that after being reassured that the centre would stay open, they paid Rs 6 lakh. Despite teacher resignations, they promised classes would continue, the parent said.
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Another parent, who had paid Rs 4.5 lakh in fees, reported hearing from an outgoing teacher that many staff members left due to months of unpaid salaries.
FIITJEE is currently grappling with financial difficulties, amid regulatory issues, including administrative and civic actions against its branches for violating fire safety and licensing rules. This crisis coincides with the end of the academic session for students sitting for the January 2025 JEE Mains, an entrance exam for engineering colleges and the first step toward IIT admissions.
The institute operates 72 centres in 41 cities and employs over 300 staff members.