NEW DELHI – The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined Vision IAS Rs 11 lakh for misleading advertisements related to UPSC Civil Services Exam results. The coaching institute, run by AjayVision Education Private Limited, was penalized for “deliberately concealing information” that could influence students to enroll in expensive courses.
Vision IAS advertised claims like “ 7 in Top 10 and 79 in Top 100 selections in CSE 2023” and “ 39 in Top 50 selections in CSE 2022.” These ads prominently featured names, photographs, and ranks of successful candidates. The CCPA stated these actions violated the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Concealed Course Information
During its investigation, the CCPA found Vision IAS disclosed that Shubham Kumar, who secured AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2020, enrolled in their GS Foundation Batch. However, the institute hid information about the specific courses other successful candidates took, whose photos and names appeared in the advertisements.
This concealment created a false impression that all featured candidates had enrolled in the expensive GS Foundation Batch. The same ads promoted this Foundation course, which costs lakhs of rupees.
Investigation Findings
A detailed investigation confirmed that Vision IAS claimed 119+ successful candidates in UPSC CSE 2022 and 2023. Yet, only three of these candidates enrolled in foundation courses. The remaining students used services such as “Test Series for Preliminary and Mains examinations,” “Abhyaas tests” (one-time tests), or “Mock Interview programmes.”
The CCPA classified this as a misleading advertisement under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The authority also noted that the institute’s website advertisements, featuring candidates without proper authorization or consent, further misled prospective aspirants. Websites are globally accessible and remain online for extended periods.
Nationwide Penalties for Misleading Ads
Vision IAS had faced previous warnings but continued making similar false claims. This demonstrated a lack of diligence and regulatory compliance, according to the CCPA.
The CCPA has issued 157 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. Penalties totaling Rs 1,09,60,000 (over Rs 1 crore) have been imposed on 28 coaching institutes nationwide. The authority has instructed all coaching institutes to ensure truthful and transparent disclosure of information in their advertisements. This measure aims to help students make informed decisions.