Insitute says IITian’s Pace is misusing the name of the director, deans and professors to promote its JEE programme.
The authorities of IIT Bombay on Saturday issued a statement saying they did not endorse any coaching classes in the city. This was in response to a recent newspaper advertisement by a coaching class which mentions the Director, deans and professors of IIT Bombay, as promoting the class.
The institute is in the process of initiating “appropriate legal proceedings” against IITians’ Pace, which put out the advertisement.
The advertisement, which appeared on April 3, states that “the director of IIT Bombay, deans of IIT and 30 professors of IIT Bombay have entrusted us with the responsibility of coaching their children for IIT-JEE”. IIT authorities say the promotional mentions the institute’s name without its consent. They added that the ad is in bad taste, and it distorts the institute’s name.
“The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, would like to state that it does not endorse any of the claims made by any of the coaching classes in the country or outside,” said a statement issued by Jaya Joshi, public relations officer at IIT Bombay.
According to Director Devang Khakhar, “We have not authorised any such advertisement, nor do we endorse coaching centres. The ad is misleading and it gives a false sense of importance to this particular class, which is incorrect. The general public must not get a wrong impression.” The same coaching centre had come under severe criticism from IIT Bombay last month when it published an advertisement with a photograph of IIT Bombay’s dean of student affairs, Prakash Gopalan, and a note from him which said: “Based on our past experience with our son at Pace, we very strongly recommend Pace to every student and parent in the process of choosing the best coaching class for JEE at Mumbai.”
“The institute had, in the past, issued a letter informing Pace to stop the use of IIT Bombay’s name in the company’s ads. The advertisement comes despite the earlier intimation. It is a gross misrepresentation of IIT Bombay’s name, and is highly objectionable,” Joshi said.
Meanwhile, Praveen Tyagi, managing director of IITian’s Pace, said: “I have a lot of respect for the directors, deans and professors of IIT Bombay. I accept their decision must be informed when they chose my institute over others. Hence, I want the public to be aware of this. I want to know what the objection is, so let there be an open debate. If someone’s child is or was studying with us, what is there to hide?”
Tyagi said he abides by Gopalan’s request not to publish his recommendation letter. “But this time, I have done nothing wrong,” he added. Asked if the ad would be carried in future, he said: “Why shouldn’t it?”
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