'No 100% selection claim': Centre cracks down on misleading ads by IAS coaching institutes, issues guidelines

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), a regulatory authority, on Tuesday came out with draft guidelines to stop misleading advertisements by the IAS coaching institutes. The move comes just months after the authority sent notices for misleading ads to 31 coaching institutes, including Unacademy, Byju's IAS, Drishti IAS, and Vajirao & Reddy Institue.

The authority said that as per the guidelines, which shall be applicable to all the institutes whether online or physical, coaching institutes shall not make false claims regarding success rates or the number of selections and any other practices that may lead to consumer misunderstanding or subvert consumer autonomy and choice.

The guidelines also prescribe DO's and DON'T's that need to be observed before coming up with advertisements. It said that the coaching institute shall mention requisite information with the successful candidate's photo,  publish the rank secured by the successful candidate, the course opted by the successful candidate, the duration of the course, and whether it was paid or free.

"Coaching institutes shall not make claim 100% selection or 100% job guaranteed or guaranteed preliminary or mains," the authority said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.  

The font of disclaimer/disclosure/important information in the advertisement shall be the same as that used in the advertisement, it said, adding that the placement of such information shall be at a prominent and visible place in the advertisement.

The consumer regulatory authority said it had taken sou moto action against misleading advertisements by coaching institutes. "In this regard, CCPA has issued notices to 31 coaching institutes for misleading advertisement and imposed fine on 9 of them for misleading advertisement."

The CCPA said it had observed that some of the coaching institutes mislead consumers by "deliberately concealing important information" with respect to courses opted by successful candidates, the duration of the course so attended and the fees paid by the candidates.

Some of the coaching institutes, it said, also indulged in making claims like 100 per cent selection, 100 per cent job guaranteed, and guaranteed preliminary and main examination without providing verifiable evidence.