FIITJEE, a coaching institute that helps students prepare for engineering entrance exams after Class 12, engaged in a strange promotional tactic by publicly naming and shaming a former student for having left the institute for a competitor insitute.?
FIITJEE recently ran an advertisement on the front page of a newspaper, claiming that an ex-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 what they referred to a competitor institute which they referred to as an "EVIL Institute from Kota with a history of suicides."?
This incident gained attention after Indian Revenue Service officer Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia shared a photo of the ad on social media, expressing her dismay.?
She stated, "A new low in advertisements @fiitjee. You are posting a picture of a child saying 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."?
Bhatia further criticised the advertisement for pressuring students and promoting the belief that success is solely determined by the institute attended.?
She emphasised the importance of teaching young people the principle of nishkam karma which refers to selfless action performed without any expectation of fruits or results, stating?that life's outcomes are not always predictable despite hard work.?
Furthermore, she stressed that achieving success in exams like the IIT JEE is not the only measure of a fulfilling life. She urged for a broader perspective on life's challenges and the importance of resilience and character beyond academic achievements.?
Check out her post here:?
Netizens were understandably enraged.?
One user commented, "The girl and her parents should sue them for criminal harassment and defamation. Mere withdrawal of the ad or an insincere apology ain't enough."?
Another said, "Don't know how this was approved in the first place that too, on the first page of a national newspaper."?
Yet another wrapped up the issue in his comment, saying, "This is a maddening academic race that children go through. If they survive this, they go through another bizarre and much longer corporate rat race. Parents are busy earning for their family. Grandparents are usually not staying with parents in a nuclear family. Who will teach our children that:?
- It's ok not to be a topper.
- It's ok to be a mediocre.?
- It's ok to fail.
- It's ok to change your career path.
- It's ok not to take science or engineering.
- It's ok to be in any stream and loving it.
- It's ok to share your feelings.
- It's ok to cry and let it out.
- It's just ok to be yourself.?
- It's ok. It's ok. Everything's ok."?
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