Corruption
Vision IAS Penalized Rs 3 Lakh by CCPA for Misleading UPSC Aspirants
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a Rs 3 lakh penalty on Vision IAS for deceptive advertising regarding its students’ success in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE).
According to a statement from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Vision IAS misled consumers by withholding specific course details, creating a false impression of its success rates in the civil services examination.
Misleading Claims in Advertisements
Vision IAS had claimed “10 in Top 10 selections in CSE 2020 from various programs of Vision IAS” and prominently featured pictures of successful candidates in its advertisements. However, the institute selectively highlighted the foundation course of the first-rank holder while concealing the course details of the remaining nine successful candidates.
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Of the nine other candidates:
- One took a foundation course.
- Six opted for test series for the preliminary and mains stages.
- Two enrolled for the Abhyaas test.
Selective Disclosure and Consumer Impact
The institute’s failure to disclose the varied course paths gave the false impression that all top-ranking candidates followed the same foundation program. Vision IAS offers courses ranging from Rs 750 for a mock test to Rs 1,40,000 for a full foundation course. The CCPA emphasized the importance of transparency in course details, stating that complete information is critical for consumers to make informed decisions about coaching institutes.
Protecting Aspirants from Deceptive Practices
The penalty is part of the CCPA’s ongoing efforts to safeguard “young and impressionable aspirants” from misleading marketing practices. The CCPA has issued 46 notices to coaching institutes for similar violations, imposing fines totaling Rs 74.60 lakh on 23 institutes and directing them to discontinue misleading advertisements.
This action underscores the need for greater accountability in the education sector to ensure aspirants are not misled by deceptive claims.
