FIITJEE, a coaching institute that trains students for the JEE entrance exam, has received immense backlash over a recent ad, where they used pictures of a former student whose performance declined after she changed coaching institutes.
Internet users are slamming the ad for the insensitivity that the coaching institute is showing towards the student and going as fast as to showcase her private details and marks.
FIITJEE’s intention with the ad was to convey how the student’s performance had dropped after joining a rival institute.
FIITJEE also fired shots at the rival but unlike the students, it didn’t mention the name of the institute. It did use words like “evil” while describing the institute. Furthermore, it called out the institute for his poor performance numbers and cases of suicide amongst its students.
Commissioner of Income Tax, Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia took to X to share her view on the ad. She said, “A new low in advertisements @fiitjee . You are posting the picture of a child saying that she performed badly because she left your institute! I have blurred the picture because I don’t believe in this disgusting way of claiming your superiority by belittling a girl child.
A new low in advertisements @fiitjee . You are posting the picture of a child saying that she performed badly because she left your institute! I have blurred the picture because I don't believe in this disgusting way of claiming your superiority by belittling a girl child. pic.twitter.com/W18Rd9rh1s
— Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia (@katyayani13) March 17, 2024
She added, “We talk about parents putting pressure on kids for IIT JEE, but what about this manner of advertising where you shame a student for not performing? And claiming superiority by claiming that she would have performed had she been in your institute? Shameful FIITJEE.”
“And it doesn’t stop here.They are claiming about their superiority by talking about the institute with a ‘history of suicides’. Shameful. Suicides in Kota are an issue that concerns us all above petty competition but claiming in this manner is cheap @fiitjee @EduMinOfIndia,” Bhatia said.
“@EduMinOfIndia @MinistryWCD @smritiirani request to please take note.Such advertising malpractices need to be checked-no institute has the right to shame students to claim it’s superiority. @htTweets u should be more mindful of the ads u r placing on page 1.We owe responsibility. This also propagates the very wrong belief that right strategy=right result. Life is not so linear @fiitjee. Let’s teach the younger generation nishkam karma and despite all hardwork results are not in our hands @EduMinOfIndia@MinistryWCD JEE aspirants should not be mislead.”
“@ascionline please take note and action against this. To publish a student’s picture in a national daily saying that they couldn’t perform is disgusting and puts such undue pressure on students @fiitjee @EduMinOfIndia @MinistryWCD @ASCI @htTweets @smritiirani.”
“And goes without saying (even though I have competed for competitive examinations) that getting into IIT really isn’t everything. Life indeed is how you respond to situations, not how you just win. The examination of life is really beyond such petty messaging by @fiitjee,” she added.