FIITJEE, a prominent coaching institute renowned for its JEE preparation courses, has found itself embroiled in controversy following the release of a contentious advertisement. The ad, featured prominently on the front page of a newspaper, has drawn widespread condemnation on social media for its questionable content and tactics.
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Targeting a Former Student
The advertisement in question uses the image of a former student to make a point about her academic performance. It suggests that the student’s scores would have been higher had she continued her coaching at FIITJEE instead of joining a rival institute. This approach of using a student’s image to imply inferior performance after leaving the institute has sparked outrage and accusations of insensitivity.
Inflammatory Language and Attacks on Competitors
What further exacerbated the situation was FIITJEE’s use of inflammatory language to refer to its competitor. The ad labels the rival institute as “evil” and mentions its alleged history of student suicides in Kota, a tactic that has been widely criticised as unethical and shameful.
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Public Outcry and Criticism
The advertisement caught the attention of Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia, an Indian Revenue Service officer, who took to social media to express her disdain. Bhatia condemned FIITJEE’s advertising approach, describing it as a “new low” and highlighting the pressure it puts on students. She also criticised the institute for attempting to assert superiority by denigrating a former student’s academic journey and exploiting sensitive issues like student suicides in Kota for competitive gain.
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
Calls for Accountability and Ethical Marketing
The incident has ignited a wave of public outcry and calls for accountability within the coaching industry. Many have echoed Bhatia’s sentiments, demanding stricter regulations and ethical standards in advertising practices. The controversy serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of using exploitative tactics in educational marketing and underscores the need for greater sensitivity and responsibility.
