Central Consumer Protection Authority CCPA Fines Drishti IAS ₹5 Lakh for Misleading UPSC 2022 Ads
SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
Institutions: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution | Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has levied a ₹5 lakh penalty on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt. Ltd.) for publishing misleading advertisements about UPSC CSE 2022 results. The institute claimed “216+ selections”, displaying names and photos of candidates, but the CCPA found this to be deceptive: 162 of those claimed had only taken the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) after clearing preliminary and mains independently, and were not full-service students of Drishti’s paid courses.
This is a repeat violation: in September 2024, CCPA had penalised Drishti IAS ₹3 lakh for a similar misleading claim about UPSC CSE 2021. In that case, most of the claimants were enrolled only in free guidance programmes. CCPA emphasised that such concealment deprives aspirants and parents of the right to make informed choices, falling foul of Section 2(28) (misleading advertisement) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The decision underscores the growing regulatory scrutiny over coaching industry claims. For India’s education sector, this signals that advertising practices must be transparent and fact-based. Coaching institutes’ accountability is being tightened via CCPA’s enforcement powers.
What is a Misleading Advertisement? → A communication that exaggerates or conceals key facts, creating false expectations; under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, it’s an unfair trade practice.
What is CPA? → The Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2019 is India’s central law for safeguarding consumer rights. It empowers authorities like the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to act against unfair trade practices, defective goods, deficient services, and misleading advertisements. The Act replaced the 1986 law, strengthening enforcement by introducing e-filing of complaints, product liability, stricter penalties for misleading ads, and powers for class-action cases.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: Should regulatory guidelines mandate standardized verification and audits of coaching institute success claims before publishing them?
Follow the full news here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2174344