Many FIITJEE centres shut across India, leaving thousands of students and parents in crisis

New Delhi: At least eight FIITJEE coaching centres in various parts of India have abruptly shut down over the past week, leaving thousands of students and their parents in a state of distress ahead of important board and entrance examinations. The sudden closures have caused immense concern, as students are now unsure about the completion of their courses or the return of their fees.

The latest centre to close was in Noida’s Sector 62 on Wednesday, following the shut down of centres in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhopal, Patna, and Laxmi Nagar in Delhi. The closures are linked to several teachers resigning from these centres due to non-payment of salaries and better offers from other institutes, according to former staff and management sources.

Founded in 1992 by IIT Delhi graduate DK Goel, FIITJEE is one of the largest coaching institutes in India, catering to students aiming for the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and other top engineering institutes. However, recent events have cast a shadow over the institution's reputation.

A parent from Noida, whose daughter was enrolled in the centre, expressed frustration and concern. "My daughter is enrolled in the Noida centre of FIITJEE to clear the engineering entrance examination. I had submitted two years’ fees in advance, to the tune of ₹4 lakh, in July 2024. Now, they have shut the centre, affecting my daughter’s dream of becoming an engineer. The centre should either refund our money or complete the remaining course," the parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

In response to the growing unrest, a group of parents gathered outside the FIITJEE Noida centre, filing complaints at the Sector 58 police station in Noida. "The academic staff has left the FIITJEE Noida centre. We spoke to parents and assured them that either the coaching centre will refund the money or restart the classes for the students. We are seeking a response from FIITJEE officials," said Noida Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ram Badan Singh.

In Patna, another parent, Vijay Krishna Sahay, shared how his daughter’s education has been jeopardised. "The centre’s abrupt closure without prior notice completely disrupted my daughter’s studies and put her career at risk," he said.

Two former teachers from the Patna centre also revealed they resigned due to non-payment of salaries. "I have been teaching there for more than four years, but I left the Patna coaching centre in November last year because I had not been paid since July 2024," said one teacher.

At the FIITJEE Meerut centre, a staff member from the management team explained that the lack of faculty has made it impossible to continue classes. “It has been a week since our faculty left the centre as they were getting better offers from other coaching centres. We have informed the situation to the FIITJEE Delhi head office and we will restart the classes if they provide us sufficient faculty to teach around 500 students,” the staff member said.