Vision IAS Penalized for Misleading UPSC Success Claims

The Central Consumer Protection Authority fined Vision IAS Rs 11 lakh for misleading ads about its students' UPSC exam performance. Despite previous warnings, the coaching institute claimed false enrolment figures for successful candidates, leading to a higher penalty and highlighting the need for transparent advertising.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed an Rs 11 lakh fine on coaching institute Vision IAS for disseminating misleading advertisements regarding its students' performance in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. This marks the first instance of a penalty for a repeat offense under consumer protection laws.

The investigation revealed that Vision IAS, formally known as AjayVision Education Pvt Ltd, falsely implied that its foundation courses were responsible for the success of all its claimed candidates. However, out of over 119 successful candidates for 2022 and 2023, only three were enrolled in the foundation courses. The rest utilized other services like test series and mock interviews.

Despite prior interventions, the institute continued these misleading practices, featuring photos and names of candidates with claims like '7 in Top 10 & 79 in Top 100 selections in CSE 2023.' The Authority cautioned that accurate advertisement is crucial for aspirants making significant investments in their education, and such deceptive practices contravene the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.