New Delhi: Coaching institutes for civil services examinations will not be allowed to use personal details of toppers in their advertisements without their consent, according to draft guidelines issued by consumer regulatory authority Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Friday. . Ministry of Affairs.
The decision is part of a broader effort to crack down on misleading advertisements in the coaching industry, ensuring that candidates are not influenced by unverified claims of success.
CCPA has asked all IAS coaching centers to stop using false testimonials or fake reviews of successful students to grow their coaching business. The regulator has sought comments from stakeholders till March 16.
The initiative comes after CCPA issued notices to 31 coaching institutes including Byju IAS, Drishti IAS and Vajirao & Reddy Institute for misleading advertising.
Queries sent to DoPT, CCPA, Vajirao & Reddy Institute, Shriram IAS and Drishti IAS remained unanswered, while Byju IAS declined to comment on the issue.
peppermint Earlier in November 2023, it was reported that coaching institutes are now allowed to use photographs or testimonials of toppers or successful candidates of India’s civil services examinations to attract future students for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) coaching. Will not be allowed.
The CCPA in its investigation report, a copy of which was reviewed peppermintnoted that important information such as the course chosen by successful candidates or the enrollment nature of the course is ‘deliberately’ hidden from consumers (candidates) in advertisements.
The proposed guidelines targeted at online and offline centers will have an impact on the IAS coaching business, which constitutes Rs 3000 crore from the total coaching business of 58,088 crores. Delhi is considered to be the center of coaching for UPSC civil services examinations.
The draft rules prevent coaching centers from making false claims, such as guaranteeing 100% selection in exams conducted by UPSC, and picking out exceptional cases to create a skewed perception of success.
Centers are required to disclose detailed information including rank, name, duration and type of course about the successful candidates displayed in their advertisements to avoid any misrepresentation.
“Coaching institutes making false claims regarding the success rate, number of selections or rankings of students in any competitive examination without providing verifiable evidence will amount to misleading advertising,” the notification said.
The CCPA rules do not preempt any other laws governing advertising regulation.
The guidelines have been issued following the formation of a committee to monitor misleading advertisements by IAS coaching institutes on 8 December 2023 and a stakeholder consultation by CCPA on misleading advertisements in the coaching sector on 8 January 2024.
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Published: Feb 16, 2024, 06:37 PM IST
