IAS coaching institutes penalized ₹8 lakh each for misleading ads

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a fine of ₹8 lakh each on two leading civil services coaching institutes, Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS, for publishing misleading advertisements and violating consumer rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The regulator took action after receiving complaints from successful UPSC candidates who alleged that their names and photographs had been used without permission in promotional campaigns.

Mini Shukla (AIR 96, UPSC CSE 2021) informed the authority that Dikshant IAS had featured her image and name in advertisements without her consent.

She clarified, “I had no formal association with the institute and had only attended a mock interview at Chahal Academy, which I later learned was jointly conducted with Dikshant IAS.”

Following its inquiry, CCPA determined that Dikshant IAS had made unsubstantiated claims such as “200+ Results in UPSC CSE 2021” and failed to specify candidates’ actual engagement with the institute.

The ads gave the impression that the institute played a significant role in the aspirants’ success, though its involvement was limited to interview sessions.

In the case of Abhimanu IAS, candidate Natasha Goyal (AIR 175, UPSC CSE 2022) reported that her photograph had been used in advertisements without authorization.

CCPA’s probe revealed that the institute had made exaggerated claims like “2200+ Selections since Inception,” “10+ Selections in IAS Top 10,” and “1st Rank in HCS/PCS/HAS.”

Investigators found that out of the 139 selections promoted, 88 candidates had cleared the Prelims and Mains stages independently, with the institute’s role limited to mock interviews or personalized question banks.

By failing to disclose such information, the advertisements misled students about the institute’s contribution to their results.

The authority concluded that both coaching centers had engaged in unfair trade practices by withholding crucial details and creating a deceptive picture of their success rates.

Earlier, in September, CCPA fined Delhi-based Drishti IAS ₹5 lakh for similar violations.

Vision IAS had also been penalized ₹3 lakh in January for misleading claims about student achievements.

So far, the CCPA has issued 57 notices to coaching institutes for deceptive advertising and imposed penalties totaling more than ₹98.6 lakh on 27 institutions.

The regulator has also directed them to stop misleading promotional activities.