The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has penalized Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre with a fine of Rs 7,00,000 for engaging in deceptive advertising by withholding crucial information. The CCPA, led by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, took this action as the coaching institute was found to be making exaggerated claims and showcasing successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 without disclosing key details about the courses they had chosen.
According to the CCPA, the penalty was imposed to safeguard consumer rights and prevent false or misleading advertisements, as per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The agency highlighted that the Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) is only available to candidates who have cleared both the Preliminary and Mains stages of the UPSC CSE independently, without any academic support from the institute.
The CCPA emphasized that featuring these candidates in advertisements for paid coaching programs without clarifying the specific courses they undertook created a deceptive impression that they were products of the institute’s full-length coaching programs. This move is part of the CCPA’s efforts to address misleading advertisements and unfair practices in coaching institutes, having issued over 60 notices to such entities to protect student interests and promote transparency in the coaching industry.
The CCPA has taken stringent actions against various coaching institutes, imposing penalties exceeding Rs 1.46 crore on those offering coaching for exams like UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), IIT-JEE, NEET, RBI, and other competitive tests. The agency noted that failing to disclose the courses chosen by successful candidates, including details on classroom programs, optional subject coaching, test series, or interview guidance programs, constitutes misleading advertising under the Act, depriving consumers of making informed decisions.
