The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt Ltd) for publishing misleading advertisements regarding the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 results.
In its advertisement, Drishti IAS prominently claimed “216 selections in UPSC CSE 2022,” featuring the names and photographs of successful candidates. However, the CCPA’s investigation revealed that the claim was misleading and concealed crucial details about the type and duration of courses the candidates had actually taken.
Of the 216 candidates highlighted by Drishti IAS, 162 (75%) had only participated in the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) after clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages independently. Only 54 students had enrolled in IGP along with other courses offered by the institute.
The authority concluded that this deliberate omission misled aspirants and parents into believing that Drishti IAS had contributed to the candidates’ success in all stages of the UPSC examination, violating Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
This is the second penalty imposed on Drishti IAS for similar conduct. In September 2024, the institute had been fined Rs 3 lakh for misleading claims of “150 selections in UPSC CSE 2021,” where it was found that most candidates had only enrolled in the free IGP, with very few taking other paid courses.
Despite the previous penalty, Drishti IAS repeated the same practice for the 2022 results, enhancing its claim to “216 selections,” reflecting continued non-compliance with consumer protection norms.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs noted that such misleading advertisements create false expectations and unfairly influence decisions, particularly among students and parents seeking guidance on competitive exams.
So far, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, imposing penalties exceeding Rs 90.6 lakh on 26 institutes. The authority has reiterated that all coaching institutes must ensure truthful disclosure in their advertisements, enabling students to make informed decisions about their academic choices.
