On the morning of Sunday, yesterday, April 13, around 200 parents protested outside the FIITJEE centre in Noida's Sector 62 after the coaching institute reopened operations and began fresh admissions, three months after it abruptly closed on January 23.
Despite the institute's assurance of compensation for previously paid fees, many parents said that there was "no guarantee" the new administration would keep its promises.
“How can FIITJEE begin new admissions when they fail to compensate the already enrolled students and their parents?” asked Niraj Singh to Hindustan Times, a parent leading the protest.
FIITJEE Noida, which is currently operating under a franchise model, began offline classes on Friday and allegedly had approximately 150 students in attendance on Sunday.
Parents, however, expressed concern about unknown teachers and a lack of stability in faculty and management.
“The centre head is new, the teachers are new — how can we send our children where all the staff is unfamiliar?” Singh asked.
The protest began around 8.30 am and lasted until noon, with a substantial security presence, including private bouncers at the gate. Parents reported they were barred from entering and were informed that security was in place to avoid potential hooliganism.
Mohit Rajput, the new centre Director, acknowledged the trust deficit but stated that steps were underway to restore trust.
“All the teachers are associated with FIITJEE since the 2006 or 2007 batch. FIITJEE is the same; only the business model has changed,” he told Hindustan Times.
He added, “We will compensate the amount paid by parents to other institutes by adjusting it in the pending fee.”
