Shankar IAS Academy Fined for Misleading UPSC Exam Advertisement
New Delhi, India – The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an order against Shankar IAS Academy for misleading advertisements regarding the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022. The CCPA, led by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 5 lakh on the academy.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution stated that the decision was made to protect consumer rights and ensure no false or misleading advertisements are made. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 mandates that no false or misleading advertisements should be made about any goods or services.
Shankar IAS Academy claimed in its advertisement that 336 out of 933 selections at the All India Level in the UPSC Civil Service exam 2022 were from their academy. They also claimed that 40 candidates in the Top 100 and 42 candidates from Tamil Nadu, of which 37 studied at Shankar IAS Academy, were successful. The academy also advertised itself as the ‘Best IAS Academy in India’.
The CCPA found that the academy concealed information about the courses opted by the successful candidates. This could lead consumers to falsely believe that all successful candidates had opted for the paid courses advertised by the academy. In response, Shankar IAS Academy provided details of only 333 successful candidates against its claim of 336. Out of these, 221 took the Free Interview Guidance Programme, 71 took the Mains Test Series, 35 took the Prelims Test Series, 12 took the General Studies Prelims cum Mains, and 4 took the Prelims Test Series with some other mains course.
Coaching institutes often use the names and photographs of successful candidates in their advertisements to create the impression that these candidates were full-time students. This practice can deceive consumers, especially UPSC aspirants, by not disclosing the true nature of the candidates’ association with the academy.
The ministry emphasized that advertisements should contain truthful and honest representations of facts, clearly and prominently disclosing important information to consumers.
Doubts Revealed
Shankar IAS Academy -: Shankar IAS Academy is a coaching institute in India that helps students prepare for the UPSC Civil Service Exam, which is a very important exam for becoming a government officer.
UPSC Exam -: The UPSC Exam, or Union Public Service Commission Exam, is a tough test in India that people take to get jobs in the government, like becoming an IAS officer.
CCPA -: CCPA stands for Central Consumer Protection Authority. It is a government body in India that makes sure companies do not cheat or mislead people with false advertisements.
Rs 5 lakh -: Rs 5 lakh means 500,000 rupees, which is a large amount of money in India. It is the fine that Shankar IAS Academy has to pay for misleading advertisements.
Nidhi Khare -: Nidhi Khare is the Chief Commissioner of the CCPA. She is one of the top officials responsible for protecting consumer rights in India.
Anupam Mishra -: Anupam Mishra is a Commissioner at the CCPA. He works with Nidhi Khare to make sure companies follow the rules and do not mislead consumers.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019 -: The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 is a law in India that helps protect people from being cheated by companies. It makes sure that advertisements are truthful and fair.
