India’s most famous coaching centre, based in Delhi and focus on UPSC preparation, named Vision IAS has been fined of Rs 3 lakh by The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for deceptive advertising regarding its students’ success in the Civil Services Examination (CSE). The penalty comes after an investigation revealed that the institute misleding the upsc aspirants by promoting its success rates without disclosing the details of the students regarding their courses.
Vision IAS coaching centre was running an advertisement claiming, “10 in Top 10 selections in CSE 2020 from various programs of Vision IAS,” accompanied by pictures of successful candidates. However, the institute’s promotion was found to be misleading as it failed to provide complete information about the courses undertaken by the top performers, said Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution,on their statement.
Vision IAS Fined for Misleading Claims
The investigation made by the government department revealed that Vision IAS highlighted only the foundation course taken by the first-ranked candidate, while withholding details about the courses pursued by the other nine successful candidates. In reality:
- One student enrolled in the foundation course.
- Six students opted for test series for the preliminary and mains stages.
- Two students chose the Abhyaas test series.
This selective disclosure created a false impression that all top 10 candidates followed the same course path, which was not the case. The cost of these courses varied significantly, ranging from Rs 750 for a mock test to Rs 1,40,000 for a full foundation course. Because of this false claim The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), fined Vision IAS coaching centre of Rs 3 lakh.
The CCPA stressed for transparency
The CCPA emphasized the importance of complete and transparent course information to help consumers, especially young and impressionable aspirants, make informed decisions. The authority of ccpa stated that such misleading advertisements exploit the trust of students and their families, who invest significant time and money in competitive exam preparation. And told to Coaching centre to not misguide the student, who wants to preparation for examination through their misleding ads.
In addition to the penalty on Vision IAS, the CCPA has taken action against 23 other coaching institutes for similar unfair practices. So far, 46 notices have been issued, and a total penalty of Rs 74.60 lakh has been imposed. The institutes have also been directed to discontinue misleading advertisements and adhere to ethical marketing practices.
