PhysicsWallah Kota Centre Manager Fired After Scuffle Between Management, Students

Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah fired the manager of one of its coaching centres in Kota after a video of a scuffle between a student and management went viral on social media.

In the video circulating on Instagram, a man, presumably a management staff member at the startup, can be seen pushing a student with other students around the scene. The video, posted by the Instagram account @ithappensinkota, has attracted more than 60K plays.

The PW staff in the video is said to be a part of the Student Welfare Society (SWS), under the HR & Admin function of PhysicsWallah. Their responsibilities include the safety of the coaching staff at the centre, managing relationships with students and schools, and managing aspects such as food and hostel facilities.

Many users claiming to be students commented on the video, stating that the behaviour depicted by the SWS staff member was commonplace.

Rajesh Yadav (@itz_rajesh_650), claiming to be a student of the PW Vidyapeeth at Kota from the LN11M first phase batch, said, “They [management staff] think of themselves as Alakh Sir, they [management staff] are no less than goons. They come to the class, 4-5 at a time, and do whatever they want to anyone they want to. No one speaks against them or stops them.”

Some users also alleged that the student in question was the one who started the altercation. However, most of the users who commented on the video stated that the management staff started the scuffle after the student raised a dispute regarding the teacher quality at the Kota centre.

Kundan Kumar, the centre head at Kota for PW, told Inc42, “We have already initiated disciplinary action against Vidhyapeeth’s Kota centre manager. However, our primary concerns and focus are on the Vidhyapeeth students and their well-being. We have set up a help desk where students can share their concerns without hesitation.”

Kumar added that PW’s senior teachers and management have reached the Kota centre to understand and address the situation. “We are taking systematic resolutions for the smooth functioning of the classes, and students’ welfare will remain the top priority for PW,” he added.

This is the second time where an instance of a PW staff member misbehaving with a student has surfaced.

Last August, a video surfaced which depicted a PhysicsWallah teacher threatening to physically abuse a female student during an online class while the student was bombarding the class with comments.

Started as a YouTube channel in 2016, PhysicsWallah skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic and in June 2022, it raised $100 Mn at a valuation of $1.1 Bn, becoming India’s seventh edtech unicorn in the process.

Update | February 22, 2023, 5:15 PM

The story has been updated with PW’s comments on the matter.

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