The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Vikas Divyakirti-led Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt. Ltd.) for publishing misleading advertisements related to the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 results.
Drishti IAS had claimed in its advertisements that “216+ selections” were made in UPSC CSE 2022, showcasing the names and photographs of successful candidates.
What CCPA Found After Investigation
However, upon investigation, the CCPA found that this claim was misleading and concealed crucial details about the type and duration of courses these candidates had enrolled in.
The probe revealed that out of the 216 candidates claimed by the institute, 162 candidates—around 75% had only participated in the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP), clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages of UPSC independently.
Only 54 students were enrolled in IGP along with other paid courses offered by Drishti IAS.
This deliberate omission misled aspirants and parents into believing that Drishti IAS was responsible for the success of all 216 candidates at every stage of the UPSC examination.
Such claims fall under the definition of misleading advertisements under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Drishti IAS Fake Claims
The CCPA also highlighted that this was not the first time Drishti IAS had been penalised for similar conduct. In September 2024, the authority had fined the institute Rs 3 lakh for claiming “150+ selections” in UPSC CSE 2021.
At that time, out of the 161 candidates reported by the institute, 148 were enrolled only in IGP, 7 in Mains Mentorship Program, 4 in GS Foundation Program, 1 in an Optional course, and 1 candidate’s course details were not provided.
Drishti IAS was directed to discontinue misleading advertisements then, but the institute repeated the practice for the 2022 batch with an even higher claim of 216+ selections.
According to the CCPA, repeated non-compliance shows a blatant disregard for consumer protection norms.
By concealing such vital information, Drishti IAS deprived prospective students and parents of the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding their academic choices, violating Section 2(9) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Misleading advertisements can create false expectations and unfairly influence the decisions of consumers, particularly when claims are made without transparent disclosure.
CCPA Actively Monitors Misleading Ads
The CCPA has been actively monitoring coaching institutes for misleading advertisements. So far, it has issued 54 notices to various institutes and imposed penalties amounting to over Rs 90.6 lakh on 26 coaching centres, along with directions to discontinue false claims.
The authority observed that many coaching institutes concealed important information about the courses opted for by successful candidates, thereby misleading aspirants.
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