A fine of Rs 3 lakh was imposed for misleading advertisement in UPSC 2022 results
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Sunday informed that it has imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on Sriram's IAS coaching institute for misleading advertisement.
New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) informed on Sunday that it has imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on Sriram's IAS coaching institute for misleading advertisement on UPSC Civil Services (CSE) Result 2022. This decision has been taken to protect and promote rights. Ensure that no goods or services are falsely or misleadingly advertised as a class of consumers and in violation of the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
“In view of the violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the CCPA headed by Chief Commissioner Smt. Nidhi Khare, and the Commissioner, Mr. Anupam Mishra has issued an order against Sriram's IAS regarding the misleading advertisement regarding the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022,” the order read.
Moreover, it has been stated that coaching institutes and online edtech platforms influence potential aspirants (customers) by using pictures and names of certain successful candidates, without revealing the courses chosen by such candidates and thus the length of the course attended. According to the press release, Sriram's IAS did the following in his advertisement:-
- “Over 200 Choices in UPSC Civil Services Exam 2022”
- “We are India's No. 1 Prestigious UPSC/IAS Coaching Institute”
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) found that Sriram's IAS advertised a variety of courses but information regarding the courses chosen by the successful candidates advertised in the UPSC Civil Services Examination results mentioned above was deliberately concealed in the advertisement. This led consumers to mistakenly believe that all successful candidates claimed by the organization had enrolled in the paid courses advertised on its website.
“Section-2(28) (iv) of the Consumer Protection Act talks about misleading advertisement in terms of deliberate concealment of important information. It is important for consumers to know about the course chosen by the successful candidates so that they can make an informed choice while deciding which course and coaching institute to join,” the statement said.
Sriram's IAS in its response provided details of only 171 successful candidates against its claim of more than 200 selections in UPSC Civil Services 2022. Out of these 171 candidates, 102 were from Free Interview Guidance Program (IGP), 55 candidates. Free test series under MoU with state government for free coaching, 9 from GS classroom course and 5 from various states. This information is not disclosed in their advertisement, thus misleading consumers.
It is a well-known fact that successful candidates in civil services exam have to clear all the 3 stages of the exam. Eg, Prelims, Mains and Personality Test (PT). While prelims is a screening test, marks obtained in both mains and personality test count for final selection. The total marks for Mains and PT are 1750 and 275 respectively. Thus the personality test contributes 13.5% to the total marks.
“Most of the candidates had already cleared the prelims and mains on their own, with no contribution from Shriram's IAS. By hiding this important fact, such false and misleading advertisements create a huge impact on consumers who are UPSC examinees without letting them know that Shriram's IAS had guided similar successful candidates who had already cleared the preliminary and mains of the UPSC examination. Thus, the advertisement violated the consumer's right to information to protect itself from unfair trade practice,” the statement said.
The authority stressed that the advertisement should make a true and fair representation of the facts by disclosing important information in such a way that it is clear, prominent and extremely difficult for consumers to miss.
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