“New low in ads”: FIITJEE’s latest print ad draws public flak

Delhi: FIITJEE, a coaching institute, is facing severe backlash on social media for its latest print advertisement, in which it has used a student's image to insinuate a decline in performance after departing from their coaching institute.

The flak started when an IRS officer Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia posted the ad on X and wrote, "A new low in advertisements. You are posting the picture of a child saying that she performed badly because she left your institute!" She slammed FIITJEE and said it was "disgusting" that the coaching institute was "claiming 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

The FIITJEE advertisement, prominently displayed on the front page of a newspaper, claimed that the former student could have achieved a perfect 100 NTA score in JEE-Mains 2024 instead of 99.99 if she had stayed with them instead of switching to an institute in Delhi, which they labeled as "Evil institute from Kota" and associated it with a history of suicides.

Bhatia further expressed her dismay, stating that it was "shameful" for FIITJEE to assert superiority by referencing an institute with a "history of suicides." She condemned FIITJEE's use of such terms as "cheap," emphasising that the issue of suicides in Kota is a matter of concern for everyone.

"Such advertising malpractices need to be checked-no institute has the right to shame students to claim its superiority," added Bhatia.

Bhatia has also tagged the government and ASCI to look into the unethical ad.

In the meanwhile, the consumer protection regulator CCPA has already sought public comments on draft guidelines for the prevention of misleading advertisements in the coaching sector.

The draft guidelines state that the coaching institutes should refrain from making false claims regarding success rates, number of selections, or rankings of students in any competitive exam without providing verifiable evidence.

They should not falsely represent that students' success is solely attributable to the coaching, without acknowledging the individual efforts of the students.

They should not create a false sense of urgency or fear of missing out that may heighten anxieties amongst students, or parents. They should not engage in any other practices that may mislead consumers or subvert consumer autonomy and choice.

In the recent past, the CCPA has already taken action against misleading ads by coaching institutes.