Vision IAS fined Rs 11 lakh for misleading UPSC result ad; penalties on coaching institutes cross Rs 1 crore

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on Vision IAS, run by AjayVision Education Private Limited, for publishing misleading advertisements on UPSC Civil Services Exam results and for “deliberately concealing information”, prompting aspirants to choose courses with fees running into lakhs of rupees.

The institute had advertised claims such as “7 in Top 10 and 79 in Top 100 selections in CSE 2023” and “39 in Top 50 selections in CSE 2022”, prominently featuring the names, photographs and ranks of successful candidates. This, the CCPA said, was in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

During the examination, the CCPA found that the institute disclosed the specific course opted by Shubham Kumar, who bagged AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2020 namely GS Foundation Batch (Classroom student). However, it “deliberately concealed information” regarding the courses chosen by other successful candidates whose photographs and names were displayed on the webpage advertisement.

This concealment led to a misunderstanding that the remaining candidates also enrolled in the GS Foundation Batch. Additionally, the same ad promoted its Foundation course with course fees running into lakhs of rupees.

“Such conduct had the effect of inducing students to enroll in the institute’s programmes on the basis of false, inflated, and unverified claims,” it said.

Deliberate concealment of information

A detailed investigation revealed that Vision IAS claimed 119+ successful candidates in the UPSC CSE 2022 and 2023. However, only three out of the total enrolled in foundation courses, while the remaining students opted for services such as “Test Series for Preliminary and Mains examinations, Abhyaas tests (one-time tests), and Mock Interview programmes”.

This constitutes a misleading advertisement under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The Authority further observed that the institute’s advertisements on its official website, featuring successful candidates’ names and photographs along with tall claims, were misleading. By projecting such claims without proper authorisation or consent from the students, the institute misled prospective aspirants.

“Unlike print media, a website is accessible globally and remains available for an extended period,” it added.

Rs 1-crore penalties imposed on 28 institutions

CCPA also noted that the institute has been sued for misleading advertisements in the past. Despite earlier warnings, Vision IAS continued to make similar false claims showcasing a lack of due diligence and regulatory compliance.

The CCPA also instructed all coaching institutes to strictly ensure truthful and transparent disclosure of information in their advertisements, to help students make informed decisions.

The authority has issued 157 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, and penalties amounting to Rs 1,09,60,000 (over Rs 1-crore) have been imposed on 28 coaching institutes so far.