The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on Vision IAS (AjayVision Education Private Limited) for publishing misleading advertisements related to the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 and 2023, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
According to the CCPA, the institute's advertisements on its official website carried claims such as "7 in Top 10 and 79 in Top 100 selections in CSE 2023" and "39 in Top 50 selections in CSE 2022", while prominently displaying the names, photographs and ranks of successful candidates.
Following an examination of the advertisements, the Authority found that while Vision IAS disclosed the specific course opted by Mr Shubham Kumar (AIR 1, UPSC CSE 2020), GS Foundation Batch (Classroom Student), it deliberately concealed information about the courses chosen by other successful candidates whose names and photographs appeared alongside him on the same webpage.
"This concealment created a misleading impression that all the remaining candidates were also enrolled in the GS Foundation Batch Classroom Course, which was not the case. Additionally, in the same advertisement, the institute prominently promoted its 'Foundation Course,' which involves fees running into lakhs of rupees. Such conduct had the effect of inducing students to enroll in the institute's programmes on the basis of false, inflated, and unverified claims," the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said in its official release.
A detailed investigation by the CCPA revealed that Vision IAS claimed more than 119 successful candidates in UPSC CSE 2022 and 2023. However, only three candidates had actually enrolled in foundation courses. The remaining 116 candidates had availed services such as test series for Preliminary and Mains examinations, Abhyaas one-time tests, and mock interview programmes. The Authority noted that this selective disclosure misled aspirants and parents into believing that the institute was responsible for candidates' success across all stages of the examination, amounting to a misleading advertisement under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The CCPA also observed that the institute's website-based advertisements, which projected tall claims using candidates' names and photographs, were misleading, particularly as such content is accessible globally and remains available for long periods. The Authority noted that aspirants increasingly rely on official websites to research coaching institutes and evaluate their claims before making academic decisions.
The regulator further pointed out that Vision IAS had previously faced action for publishing misleading advertisements. Despite regulatory intervention and caution, the institute continued similar practices, prompting the Authority to treat the present case as a subsequent contravention and impose a higher penalty.
In its order, the CCPA underlined that in highly competitive examinations like the UPSC Civil Services Examination, where lakhs of aspirants invest significant time, effort and financial resources, incomplete and selective disclosures create false expectations regarding outcomes and the effectiveness of coaching services.
So far, the authority has issued 57 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. Penalties amounting to Rs 1,09,60,000 have been imposed on 28 institutes, along with directions to discontinue such misleading claims.
The CCPA has reiterated that all coaching institutes must ensure truthful and transparent disclosure in advertisements to enable students to make fair and informed academic choices. The final order has been uploaded on the Central Consumer Protection Authority's official website.
