CCPA Once Again Fines Drishti IAS, Now ₹5 Lakh for Misleading UPSC 2022 Result Advertisements
In September 2024, the CCPA fined the institute ₹3 lakh for misleading claims of “150+ selections” in UPSC CSE 2021, where most candidates had only taken the free IGP.
New Delhi, October 4: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt Ltd) for publishing misleading advertisements about the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 results.
The coaching institute had prominently advertised “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022” using names and photographs of successful candidates. However, a CCPA investigation revealed that 162 of these candidates (75%) had only attended Drishti IAS’s free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) after clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages independently. Only 54 candidates had enrolled in additional paid courses.
The Authority held that this concealment misled aspirants and parents into believing Drishti IAS was responsible for candidates’ success across all exam stages. Such conduct was deemed a “misleading advertisement” under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
This is the second penalty against Drishti IAS for similar violations. In September 2024, the CCPA fined the institute ₹3 lakh for misleading claims of “150+ selections” in UPSC CSE 2021, where most candidates had only taken the free IGP.
So far, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to coaching institutes for unfair trade practices and imposed penalties of over ₹90.6 lakh on 26 institutions. The regulator reiterated that coaching institutes must provide truthful disclosures in advertisements to ensure students and parents make informed choices.
