The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a Rs 7 lakh penalty on the Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre LLP for being involved in misleading the students using advertisements related to the UPSC Civil Services Examination results. This move has been taken to protect the rights of consumers and ensure that no false or misleading advertisements are being circulated.
The order has been passed by the CCPA, which is headed by the Chief Commissioner, Smt. Nidhi Khare and the Commissioner, Shri Anupam Mishra, under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The authority has stated that the institute was caught using the names, photographs and achievements of the successful UPSC aspirants in its promotional campaigns. However, it failed to reveal any further important details of the aspirants regarding the specific courses they have attended.
The authority has reiterated the rights of consumers, as it puts emphasis on the fact that the students and aspirants who search for coaching services are entitled to accurate and complete information before making enrollment decisions.
The authority has also stressed that the coaching institutes are required to maintain transparency in their promotional claims. They also need to avoid presenting incomplete or distorted information just to influence the consumers.
The official notice has clearly stated that “The decision has been taken to protect and promote the rights of consumers as a class and to ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made in respect of any goods or services.”
The official notice was released by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in relation to the coaching institute being found to possess concealed material information while promoting the achievement of successful candidates in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023.
By imposing a Rs 7 lakh penalty, the authority has sent a strong message to all the coaching institutes across the country. The order has highlighted the importance of ethical advertising practices in the education sector.