UPSC coaching centre slapped Rs 11-lakh fine for misleading claims
Had earlier faced proceedings for similar violations
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed a penalty of Rs 11 lakh on coaching institute Vision IAS, operated by AjayVision Education Private Limited, for publishing misleading advertisements on its official website relating to the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination-2022 and 2023, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The action follows an inquiry into claims made by the institute such as “seven in top 10 and 79 in top 100 selections in CSE-2023” and “39 in top 50 selections in CSE-2022”, which were displayed alongside the names, photographs and ranks of successful candidates.
The authority found that while the institute clearly disclosed that Shubham Kumar, AIR 1 in UPSC CSE-2020, was enrolled in its GS Foundation Batch classroom course, it withheld similar information for other candidates featured on the same webpage.
According to the CCPA, this selective disclosure created the misleading impression that all highlighted candidates had taken the institute’s high-cost foundation course, which was not true. In the same advertisements, Vision IAS prominently promoted its foundation programme, with fees running into several lakhs, thereby inducing aspirants to enrol on the basis of incomplete and inflated claims.
“Out of the 119-plus successful candidates claimed by the institute for CSE-2022 and 2023, only three were enrolled in foundation courses. The remaining 116 candidates had availed limited services such as test series, one-time Abhyaas tests or mock interviews. Concealing this material information amounts to a misleading advertisement under Section 2(28) of the Act,” the officials said.
The authority also noted that the use of candidates’ names and photographs without proper authorisation further misled the aspirants. Unlike print advertisements, the CCPA observed, a website has global reach and remains accessible over long periods, making its claims more influential in shaping students’ decisions.
The order records that Vision IAS had earlier faced proceedings for similar violations. Despite regulatory caution, it continued to make comparable claims, prompting the authority to treat the present case as a subsequent contravention and impose a higher penalty.
The CCPA underlined that in highly competitive examinations like the UPSC CSE, where lakhs of aspirants invest years of preparation and significant financial resources, selective disclosures create false expectations about outcomes and the effectiveness of coaching services.
So far, the authority has issued 57 notices to coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, imposing penalties of over Rs 1.09 crore on 28 institutes and directing them to discontinue such claims.
The CCPA reiterated that coaching centres must ensure truthful and transparent advertising to enable students and parents to make informed academic choices.
