The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt. Ltd.) for publishing misleading advertisements regarding the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 results.
Drishti IAS had claimed “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022” in its advertisements, showcasing names and photographs of successful candidates. However, the CCPA investigation revealed that 162 out of these 216 candidates (75%) had only taken the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) of the institute after independently clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages. Only 54 students were enrolled in IGP along with other courses.
This concealment misled aspirants and parents into believing that Drishti IAS was responsible for the candidates’ success at all stages of the UPSC examination, which violates Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The CCPA noted that this is a repeat violation. In September 2024, Drishti IAS was fined ₹3 lakh for misleading advertisements related to UPSC CSE 2021 results. Despite prior penalties, the institute repeated similar practices for the 2022 examination results.
CCPA emphasized that misleading claims deprive students and parents of the right to make informed choices under Section 2(9) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The authority has issued 54 notices to coaching institutes and imposed penalties totaling over ₹90.6 lakh on 26 institutes for similar violations.
The CCPA has directed all coaching institutes to ensure truthful disclosure in advertisements to enable students to make fair and informed academic decisions.
