Sriram’s IAS coaching centre fined for ‘misleading’ advertisement: ‘We are India’s no. 1’

The Central Consumer Protection Authority, today, fined a leading UPSC coaching centre ₹3 lakh fine, for a “misleading” advertisement. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a statement that the CCPA has taken action against Sriram's IAS, which has its centres in Delhi, for a misleading advertisement regarding the UPSC Civil Service Exam (CSE) 2022, violating the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, said the ministry.

“Coaching institutes and online edtech platforms use pictures and names of the same successful candidates to influence prospective aspirants (consumers), without disclosing the courses opted by such candidates and length of the course so attended,” read the statement.

Claims of the misleading advertisement

Sriram's IAS in its advertisement made the following two claims: "200 plus selections in UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022" and “We are India's No 1 Prestigious UPSC/IAS Coaching Institute.”

The CCPA further found out that the 'misleading' advertisement by Sriram IAS did not have any information on the courses that had been opted by the successful candidates. The body felt that such information had been "deliberately concealed" in the advertisement.

“This has the effect of consumers falsely believing that all the successful candidates so claimed by the Institute had opted for the paid courses advertised by the Institute on its website,” the statement read.

In its response, Sriram’s IAS submitted the details of only “171 successful candidates against its claim of 200 plus selections in UPSC CSE 2022. Out of these 171 candidates, 102 were from Free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP), 55 were from Free Test Series, 9 were from GS Classroom course and 5 candidates were from different States under the MoU signed between the State Government and the Institute to provide free coaching.”

“This fact was not disclosed in their advertisement, thereby deceiving consumers,” it said.

The chief commissioner of CCPA, Nidhi Khare, pointed out that an advertisement should contain a "truthful and honest" representation of facts by disclosing important information in such a manner that they are "clear, prominent and extremely hard" to miss for consumers.