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Why has FIITJEE shut down coaching centres in Delhi, UP, MP and Bihar?
FIITJEE coaching centres shut down in Delhi-NCR and UP due to teachers quitting over unpaid salaries, affecting hundreds of students.
Several centres of coaching giants FIITJEE across Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh have unexpectedly been shut down, leaving hundreds of students in lurk.
The shutdown has affected Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar and Noida Sector 62, as well as branches in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, and Varanasi. Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and Bihar’s Patna have also been affected.
FIITJEE, a well-known institute specialising in preparing students for competitive exams like the Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE), has been a go-to for many aspiring engineers. But why have they closed so many centres?
Why has FIITJEE closed coaching centres?
The FIITJEE coaching centres have closed in several cities in North India, as teachers at these institutions have quit en masse due to non-payment of salaries.
According to officials, the centre's administration initially tried to arrange for teachers from Noida, but that lasted only for a couple of days. Following this, they had to shut down the institute.
Also read: 'Ku**e ki aulad': FIITJEE chairman’s abusive outburst sparks outrage as viral video surfaces
The closure has enraged parents, with some of them filing FIRs against the institute. According to one such FIR, lodged ten days ago in Ghaziabad, parents accused the institute of abruptly halting operations and jeopardizing their children’s academic preparation. A similar FIR was also filed in Noida.
The complaint also alleges that teachers at the Ghaziabad centre had not been paid their salaries.
A teacher from the Patna branch told HT that they haven't been paid for months.
“I have been teaching there for more than four years but I left the Patna coaching center in November last year as I had not been paid since July,” the teacher said.
Also read: Delhi consumer commission upholds order directing coaching institute to refund course fee
While the sudden closures have sparked concerns about FIITJEE’s finances, the main concern is the impact it could have on thousands of students in North India, many of whom are in a very critical phase of their exam preparation.
FIITJEE has been going through a crisis due to troubles with fresh administrative and civic action against its branches for violating licensing and fire safety rules.
