CCPA imposes Rs 3 lakh fine on Sriram’s IAS for misleading claims over UPSC 2022 exam results

Sriram’s IAS misleading advertisement: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on Sriram’s IAS for advertising misleading claims regarding the result of UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022, said the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on Sunday. According to the ministry, instead of the 200 selections as claimed by the institute, there were only 171 candidates from the institute who were selected. 

The ministry said that the “decision was taken to protect & promote the rights of consumers as a class and ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made of any goods or services which contravenes the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.”

The order against Sriram’s was issued by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare, and Commissioner Anupam Mishra. 

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

Sriram’s IAS in its advertisement made the following claims-

1. “200 plus selections in UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022”
2. “We are India's No.1 Prestigious UPSC/IAS Coaching Institute”,” it said. 

CCPA found out that Sriram’s IAS advertised various types of courses but the information with respect to the course opted by the advertised successful candidates in its ads for the UPSC 2022 exams were “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,” it claimed.

The ministry said that information about the course opted by the successful candidates was important for the consumers to know so that they could make informed choices while deciding which course and coaching institute to join. 

In its response submitted to the CCPA, Sriram’s had submitted 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,” said the ministry. 

“Majority of candidates had already cleared the Preliminary and Mains examination by himself/herself, with no contribution of Sriram’s IAS,” said the ministry. To successfully clear the Civil Services Examination, candidates have to clear the three stages of the exam including prelims, mains and personality test. Prelims is a screening test while marks for both mains and personality tests are counted for the final selection. The total marks for mains and PT are 1750 and 275 respectively. 

By concealing the fact that there was no contribution of Sriram’s, the “false and misleading advertisement creates huge impact on those consumers who are UPSC aspirants without letting them know that Sriram’s IAS had offered guidance to only such successful candidates who had already cleared Preliminary and Mains examination of UPSC examination”, the ministry said.

CCPA Chief Commissioner Khare said that an advertisement shall contain 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.