The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, has imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt. Ltd.) for publishing misleading advertisements related to the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022.
Drishti IAS had prominently claimed “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022” along with the names and photographs of successful candidates.
Concealment of Crucial Course Details
The CCPA’s investigation revealed that the institute deliberately concealed crucial information about the nature and duration of the courses the candidates had taken, which misled aspirants and parents.
Out of the 216 candidates claimed, 162 candidates (75%) had only enrolled in the Institute’s free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) after successfully clearing the difficult Preliminary and Mains stages independently.
The CCPA determined that this deliberate concealment violated Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, by creating a false impression that Drishti IAS was responsible for the candidates’ success in all stages of the UPSC examination.
Second Penalty for Repeat Violation
The CCPA noted that this is the second penalty imposed on Drishti IAS for similar conduct, demonstrating repeated non-compliance with consumer protection norms:
In September 2024, Drishti IAS was penalized ₹3 lakh for its misleading claim of “150+ selections in UPSC CSE 2021.” In that case, it was found that 148 out of 161 claimed candidates were also enrolled only in the free IGP program.
The Authority emphasized that concealing such vital information violates prospective students’ and parents’ right to make an informed choice, as the deceptive advertisements unfairly influence decisions, especially when significant claims are made without transparent disclosure.
The CCPA has so far issued 54 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, imposing penalties amounting to over ₹90.6 lakh on 26 institutes. The Authority stressed that all coaching institutes must ensure truthful disclosure in their advertisements.