FIITJEE's print ad draws flak for mocking former student

FIITJEE's recent print ad has sparked significant outrage and criticism among audiences. The ad features a photograph of a young student and alleges that her decline in exam scores resulted from her decision to leave the institute midway and enrol in a competitor's institute.

The ad derogatorily labels the competing institute as 'Evil' and highlights its purported history of student suicides. This controversial approach has drawn widespread condemnation for its unethical targeting of a specific student and institution, as well as its insensitive portrayal of serious issues such as academic pressure and mental health. 

The print ad featured in the March 17, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times is facing criticism for its distasteful and degrading content. Katyayani Sanjiv Bhatia, Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, voiced her concerns on Twitter, highlighting, “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.” 

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

Other internet users criticized the ad for its lack of empathy and expressed their disappointment and anger towards it.

Absolutely disgraceful on part of these coaching parasites. @fiitjee . They have no understanding of what education - gyan yog - truly means : Let the children falter, let them fail, let them be uncertain, let them say ‘I don’t know yet’ to the dreadful question - what do you… https://t.co/gE3wAQzI8s

— Ashish Jaiswal (@ashishjaiswaled) March 17, 2024

I think they are projecting their own EVIL on everyone but themselves.

— Vikram Poddar (Hee/Hee) (@BoredRoomComedy) March 17, 2024

Brand consultant Karthik Srinivasan weighed in with his thoughts saying, "This is perhaps the WORST ad I have seen in recent times. Not in terms of aesthetics (this is a standard design template by now) but in terms of the content."

He felt it was wrong for an education institute to publicly shame a student who left their classes and joined another institute. He questioned if the student and their parents agreed to this and found it shameful regardless.

Srinivasan further called for authorities to take action and stated, "I hope The Advertising Standards Council of India and the Government come down heavily on FIITJEE in terms of real punishment that would make any other entrance exam brand think 100 times before using such cheap tactics."

The timing of the ad exacerbates concerns about the immense pressure and expectations placed on students by parents and teachers, particularly amidst the intense academic pressure faced by the youth, particularly during exams like NEET, IIT, and JEE. Additionally, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued draft guidelines in February 2024 aimed at curbing misleading advertisements in the coaching sector.

These guidelines emphasize the prohibition of omitting crucial details such as course names and durations chosen by successful candidates in ads, deeming such omissions misleading. Furthermore, coaching centres are prohibited from using names, photos, testimonials, or videos of successful candidates in advertisements without their explicit consent. False claims such as '100% selection,' '100% job guaranteed,' 'guaranteed admission' to institutions, or fake testimonials and reviews are also prohibited.