CCPA imposes fine of Rs 8 lakh each on two coaching centres

CCPA has taken action against Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS following complaints from successful UPSC candidates regarding unauthorised use of their names and photographs in promotional materials.

After IAS, IPS officers appeal, CCPA imposes fine on two prominent coaching centres

To date, the CCPA has issued 57 notices to coaching institutes for deceptive advertising and unfair trade practices (Express photo/ representatiomal)

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined Rs 8 lakh each to two prominent IAS coaching centres for indulging in misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices and violation of consumer rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The two coaching institutes are: Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS.

In the preceding month, the Authority fined Rs 5 lakh to the Delhi-based coaching institute Drishti IAS. Back in January, Vision IAS was also under scrutiny by the CCPA, which imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh for deceptive advertising about its students’ success in the civil services examination.

CCPA has taken action against Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS following complaints from successful UPSC candidates regarding unauthorised use of their names and photographs in promotional materials.

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What is Dikshant IAS’s matter?

Mini Shukla (AIR 96, UPSC CSE 2021) submitted a representation stating that her image and name were used by Dikshant IAS without her consent. She clarified that she had no formal association with the institute and had only attended a mock interview at Chahal Academy, which she later learned was jointly conducted with Dikshant IAS.

CCPA’s investigation found that Dikshant IAS had advertised “200+ Results in UPSC CSE 2021” using names and photos of successful candidates without specifying the nature of their engagement with the institute. Despite multiple opportunities, the institute failed to provide credible evidence to support its claims.

The advertisements were found to have intentionally omitted key details, misleading aspirants into believing the institute played a significant role in their UPSC preparation, when in reality, the association was limited to interview sessions.

What is Abhimanu IAS’s matter?

Similarly, Natasha Goyal (AIR 175, UPSC CSE 2022) reported that Abhimanu IAS had falsely portrayed her as a student and used her photograph without authorisation.

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Upon investigation, the institute was found to have published exaggerated claims such as “2200+ Selections since Inception,” “10+ Selections in IAS Top 10,” and “1st Rank in HCS/PCS/HAS.” These advertisements prominently featured the names and photographs of successful candidates from various competitive exams held in 2023, including the UPSC Civil Services Examination, Haryana Civil Services (HCS), RBI Grade-B, and NABARD Grade-A.

However, the promotional materials failed to disclose critical details regarding the nature of the candidates’ association with the institute. CCPA’s inquiry revealed that out of 139 claimed selections, 88 candidates had cleared the Prelims and Mains stages independently, without any substantial support from Abhimanu IAS. The institute’s involvement was limited to mock interview sessions or the provision of personalised question banks.

By omitting such key information, the advertisements created a misleading impression of the institute’s role in the candidates’ success. CCPA concluded that this practice deprived students of the ability to make informed decisions and constituted an unfair trade practice under consumer protection norms.

To date, the CCPA has issued 57 notices to coaching institutes for deceptive advertising and unfair trade practices. Penalties totalling over Rs 98.6 lakh have been levied on 27 institutes, along with directives to cease such misleading promotions.