News Brief
Drishti IAS Fined Rs 5 Lakh By CCPA For Misleading UPSC 2022 Result Advertisements
UPSC board (Representative Image)
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 results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on Friday (3 October).
According to the ministry, Drishti IAS had released advertisements claiming “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022” while displaying names and photographs of successful candidates.
However, CCPA’s investigation found that the coaching institute concealed crucial details about the nature of the courses these candidates had taken.
"The investigation revealed that out of the 216 candidates claimed by Drishti IAS, as many as 162 candidates (75%) had only taken the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) of the Institute, after independently clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages of UPSC CSE. Only 54 students were enrolled in IGP+ other courses," the ministry said.
According to CCPA, this concealment created a misleading impression that Drishti IAS had contributed to candidates’ success in all stages of the examination, violating Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which defines misleading advertisements.
The ministry highlighted that this is the second penalty against the coaching institute for similar conduct.
In September 2024, Drishti IAS was fined Rs 3 lakh for falsely claiming “150+ selections in UPSC CSE 2021.”
"Despite being penalized and cautioned earlier, Drishti IAS once again indulged in the same practice for the 2022 examination results by enhancing its claim to “216+ selections”, thereby showing repeated non-compliance and disregard of consumer protection norms," the ministry said.
"The concealment of such crucial information deprived prospective students and parents of their right to make an informed choice under Section 2(9) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Such advertisements create false expectations and unfairly influence consumer decisions, particularly when large claims are made without transparent disclosure of facts," the ministry added.
So far, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.
Penalties exceeding Rs 90.6 lakh have been imposed on 26 institutes, most of which concealed critical details about the courses attended by successful candidates.
The Authority stressed that coaching institutes must ensure transparent and truthful advertising so that aspirants can make fair and informed academic choices.
