New Delhi, February 23 The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹15 lakh on the Delhi-based coaching institute, Vajirao and Reddy Institute, for publishing misleading advertisements claiming credit for candidates who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023, many of whom had only enrolled for mock interview sessions.
The institute had claimed on its official website, shortly after the results were declared on April 16, 2024, that it had achieved "over 645 selections out of 1,016 vacancies", with "6 in the Top 10 AIR" and "35 in the Top 50 AIR".
These claims appeared alongside advertisements for its regular courses, creating the impression that successful candidates had been trained by the institute through all three stages – Preliminary, Mains, and Interview.
The CCPA found this to be a deliberate misrepresentation. Upon examining enrolment records submitted by the institute, the authority found that a significant number of candidates had only signed up for the "Interview Guidance Programme" or "Mock Interview", meaning they had already independently cleared the first two stages before approaching the institute.
Furthermore, 431 enrolment forms did not specify the course enrolled in or include the date of filling. The institute failed to provide fee receipts or other corroborating documents.
"The non-disclosure of such information creates a misleading impression that the successful candidates were trained by the Institute across all stages of the examination," the CCPA said in a statement.
What makes the case more serious is that this is not the first time the institute has faced regulatory action. It was previously penalized ₹7 lakh for similar violations in its advertisements related to the UPSC CSE 2022 results.
The repeat offence led the CCPA to treat this as a subsequent violation and impose a steeper penalty.
With approximately 11 lakh candidates applying for civil services every year, the authority noted the scale of potential harm, as students and families invest considerable time and money guided by advertisements that do not present the complete picture.
The CCPA has so far issued 57 notices to coaching institutes across the country for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, with penalties totaling over ₹1.24 crore imposed on 29 institutes.