CCPA imposes Rs 300000 penalty on this UPSC coaching in Delhi for...

UPSC coachings in Delhi have been making headlines since the deaths of three UPSC aspirants last month. The trio got stuck in the basement of a coaching centre due to waterlogging and lost their lives. Several coaching institutes in the national capital were criticised for illegally running coaching classes in their basements.

Now, one UPSC coaching centre named Sriram's IAS has been fined for a different reason. Consumer rights regulator CCPA has imposed a Rs 3 lakh penalty on the coaching institute for publishing misleading advertisement and violating consumer rights. The misleading advertisement was related to its claims regarding the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022.

The regulator pointed out that 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 the length of the course so attended.

Sriram's IAS in its advertisement made claims of '200 plus selections in UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022'; 'We are India's No.1 Prestigious UPSC/IAS Coaching Institute', the regulator said quoting from the ad content.

Sriram's IAS in its response submitted the details of only 171 successful candidates against its claim of 200 plus selections in UPSC CSE 2022, the statement said. 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," the regulator asserted. The CCPA said that majority of candidates had already cleared Preliminary and Mains examination by himself/herself, with no contribution of Sriram's IAS.

(With inputs from PTI)